Ruins
by sinwagon13
Summary: On the eve of his wedding to Odette, Logan gets some news that will send him down a path no one expected. How will he handle the curveball headed his way?What will become of his life now? Rory thought she could finally move on with her life after New Hampshire, but she couldn't be more wrong.When her life gets complicated, she has some hard decisions to make regarding her future.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

On the day before his big wedding, Logan took a hard look at himself in the mirror and started thinking. He couldn't believe he was actually getting married. After many failed relationships, his father had finally negotiated a decent match for him. It's not as if he had any problems finding or meeting women, it was finding one who matched his social standing. He wasn't snobby, but he had an empire to protect.

Odette was a raven-haired beauty with emerald-colored eyes that shone like jewels. She was quite the sight to behold, and even Finn thought she was gorgeous for a brunette. Born in Paris, she was raised abroad at the best boarding schools in Switzerland. Before college at Oxford, she attended the finest French finishing school. Her English was crisp, and she spoke several languages well enough to converse at any party, making her an even more valuable asset to Logan.

Mitchum liked that she came from money, and his mother, Shira, liked that she came from a well-bred pedigree. Logan always thought that phrase made her sound like a racehorse, but she did have a polished C.V. Personally, he liked that she was intelligent and understood his world along with its obligations. She may never have all of his heart, but they made a good team.

Once Rory said her final goodbye, Logan went on a bender with Colin, Finn, and Robert. He was MIA for an entire weekend filled with drunken debauchery. When they finally hauled him home, he was still half-drunk and rambling. Without asking any questions, Odette took care of him. The next day, she asked him if it was over, and he nodded his head in agreement. From that day, they grew closer, and it started to feel like a real relationship. On the inside, he still hurt from Rory, but his fiancé was helping him heal.

"Hey, are you ready to go? We need to leave for the rehearsal in a few minutes if we're going to make it on time," Odette said, and her voice shattered his world of thoughts causing him to jump. "I didn't mean to scare you!"

"I was just lost in thought, that's all," he said softly. "I just can't believe we are getting married tomorrow."

"The car is waiting downstairs," she replied with a smile.

He grabbed her hand before she got too far away, and he pulled her close to him. Logan put his hands on either side of her face and drew her in for a slow, sensual kiss. She put a hand on his chest to balance, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, kissing her a second time. When their lips parted, both were a little breathless.

"Logan, that's not how you get out of rehearsal," she playfully chastised.

"I have never understood this part of the wedding," he replied. "I understand getting people together for dinner and drinks, but walking in straight lines through the center aisle of a church is not that difficult!"

"It's a fun tradition, and I'm not sure Finn can, so there's that to consider," she joked.

"Touche," he said in defeat and kissed her again.

"Don't forget about our arrangement tonight," Odette reminded him,

"Explain this one to me again," he requested. "We've already slept together! Hell, we live together, so, why do we need to spend the night apart?"

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder," she answered with a wink.

"Fine," he conceded. "For the record, I don't like it, but if you want to do it, then I'll respect that."

"I do," she said and kissed him on the cheek. "Now, grab your jacket, and let's go!"

After arriving at the church, the couple was greeted by their close friends and family. They greeted each other and began chatting amongst themselves until it was time to start the rehearsal.

"I don't get why we have to practice walking," Finn complained. "I mean, how hard could it be?"

"When you've mastered it, let the rest of us know," Colin retorted.

"Yeah, your last attempt at Seth's wedding failed miserably," Robert added.

"I think you all need the practice," Logan chimed in. "Look, the quicker we get through this, the quicker we get to dinner and drinks."

"The man has a point," Finn replied. "Which lovely bridesmaid will I be escorting?"

"You're with Honor," Logan said.

"C'mon, Mate! At least give me a _chance_ ," Finn begged. "What about the fiery redhead?"

"That's exactly _why_ you're with my sister," Logan explained.

"Does that mean it's her turn to watch him, and we're free for the night?" Colin asked optimistically.

"No," Logan said firmly. "It's all of your job to keep an eye on him tomorrow night!"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much!" Finn announced.

"Do we have to remind you about Steph's wedding?" Robert asked pointedly.

"That was _one_ time," Finn replied.

"Not only did you disappear for three days, but we had to bail you out of a jail somewhere in northern Vermont!" Colin added.

"Total misunderstanding," Finn said in an attempt to make an excuse.

"You were found naked and wandering dangerously close to the Canadian border. To top it off, you were talking to a moose!" Logan explained.

"She was an excellent conversationalist, and from what I could tell, thoroughly enjoyed my company," Finn stated.

"Oh, and don't forget about Rosemary's engagement party," Colin chimed in.

"And her wedding," Robert reminded them.

"Fine, but at least give me a shot with the hot redhead," Finn pleaded.

"That's Odette's sister, and she has a name," Logan chided.

"Have I met her before?" Finn wondered.

"You have and her name is Marie," Logan answered. "She's the maid of honor. Traditionally, she walks down the aisle alone just before the bride. So, even if I wanted to risk my life to the hands of my bride-to-be, it wouldn't work to pair you two up for the actual wedding."

"Guys, it's time to line up and start this rehearsal," Mindy, the wedding planner, said and interrupted their conversation.

Everyone managed to get through rehearsal without much trouble, including Finn, who'd been taking nips from the flask he snuck in with him. Afterward, the wedding party took one limo to the restaurant for the groom's dinner. Fortunately, both sets of parents took a separate ride.

"Who wants champagne?" Marie asked and presented a bottle in each hand.

"My God, I think I love this woman!" Finn admitted a little louder than he thought.

"This is for everyone else, Finn. You got a head start with your flask and didn't share," she replied with a flirty smile and wink.

"Does your sister have a thing for Finn?" Logan whispered to Odette.

"She claims she doesn't, but she talks about him all of the time, and now, this blatant flirting," Odette stated.

"Have you told her about him?" Logan asked quietly.

"She won't listen to me about it because she's in denial," Odette explained. "I think this is a lesson she needs to learn on her own."

"Or, maybe she'll help Finn finally change his ways," Logan said hopefully.

The couple started laughing hysterically, and everyone else stopped their conversation. They sat there staring at Logan and Odette, who were quite cozy in one of the corners of the limo. Soon, they realized the dull roar had quieted to just their laughter, which made them chuckle even harder than before.

"And what, exactly, is so humorous?" Marie demanded.

"Nothing, dear sister," Odette replied trying to keep a straight face.

Luckily, they arrived at the restaurant before Marie was able to pressure her big sister much more. One-by-one, the friends exited the limo and went inside. They were escorted to the private dining area. Everyone got settled in for dinner quickly, and the drinks were flowing freely. Once the meal was over, the group started mingling. Logan and Odette had been roped into talking to their parents, while their friends laughed and chatted with each other.

As the noise level grew, no one noticed the stranger in a suit enter the private party room. The man was Charlie Kennedy, an employee from the state department. He also happened to be a close friend of the Huntzberger family. He quickly scanned the room, spotted Mitchum, and made a beeline to him.

"Mitchum," he began. "Can we speak privately?"

"Certainly, Charlie," Mitchum replied. "If you'll excuse me for a moment."

He followed Charlie to the side of the room.

"First off, I want to apologize for interrupting the party, but this is important and pressing news that I felt should be delivered in person," Charlie began. "I'm also sorry for such short notice. Sometimes, things get lost in the shuffle from the states."

"What's going on?" Mitchum asked worriedly.

"You might want to postpone this wedding," he suggested.

"Why the hell would we want to do that? It's tomorrow," he replied.

"In the mess of paperwork and cross-referencing with the states for the marriage license, it was discovered that we couldn't issue one because there was a conflict," Charlie vaguely explained.

"That lying little wench!"

"It doesn't involve your son's fiancé," Charlie said. "It's your son."

The rage was painted on Mitchum's face as he waved and called to his son from across the room, "Logan!"

"Yes, Dad?" he asked when he got close.

"Is there something you'd like to tell me about your marital status?" he asked his son in a stern voice.

"Nothing that I'm aware of," he replied. "Why? What's going on?"

"In the shuffle between the governments, some paperwork from the states is showing that you are already married, Logan," Charlie revealed.

 _What the fuck?_ Logan thought. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"What kind of sick joke is this? Did Finn put you up to this?" Logan asked. "He's still pissed I won't hook him up with Odette's sister."

"No joke, son," Mitchum said. "Charlie wouldn't take time out to play some juvenile practical joke. This is serious business!"

Logan looked at his father in stunned silence. _If this wasn't a joke, who the hell am I married to?_ he thought.

The trio of men didn't realize that the rest of their group had rejoined them. Curiosity had gotten the best of them. The men hadn't noticed they were making a bit of a scene.

"So, what does this paperwork say, Charlie?" Logan asked.

"According to the state of Nevada, you are legally married to one Lorelai Leigh Gilmore and have been since October 2005," Charlie said in a matter of fact tone.

"Isn't that Rory's mother?" Shira asked in a shrill tone.

"No, Mom, that's Rory's full name," Logan replied and turned to Odette. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this right away."

"You're married?" she asked quietly in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Odette! I had no idea," he apologized softly and took her hand.

She pulled her hand away and folded her arms across her chest.

"How could you _not_ know?" she probed.

"This is unacceptable!" Claude, Odette's father, cried out.

"On the eve of the wedding, my daughter is being humiliated by your son's appalling behavior," Lorraine, Odette's mother, added.

"I'm a little confused myself, Logan," Mitchum chimed in. "Care to explain?"

Logan stood there for a moment, wracking his brain for the memory of such an incident, but there was nothing that came to mind. He'd only been to Vegas once with Rory, and it was right after her twenty-first birthday. _Did we get so drunk that we got married and didn't even know it?_ he wondered. _Sure, one of us would have remembered it, or maybe one of the guys knows._

"The only thing I can think of is a trip we took to Vegas after Rory's birthday. There was a lot of alcohol, but I don't remember getting married at all," Logan recalled. "I'm telling the truth. I have absolutely no recollection of it."

"I told you to stay away from that girl from the first time we met her," Shira remarked snidely.

"Mom, now is the _not_ the time," Logan pleaded.

"You are in no position to talk to your mother that way, Son!" Mitchum warned.

"Now, my daughter is going to be known as his _second_ wife?" Lorraine asked for clarification.

"No, we'll get an annulment, and it will be like the first marriage never happened," Logan answered.

"Is there anything we can do in the meantime to avoid the scandal of cancelling the wedding entirely? There are people from all over the world who have flown in for this occasion," Shira wondered.

"Is there something we can do, Charlie? I mean, we want to keep this as quiet as possible," Mitchum said.

"I suppose you could always go through with the service as planned. There just won't be any paperwork to sign legally binding you together. Once the annulment is finalized, a new license can be obtained under the radar, and you two can be legally married," Charlie suggested. "They do it in Hollywood all of the time."

"We put all of the paperwork on hold," Claude firmly stated. "I don't want my daughter caught up in a potential scandal if this American girl puts up a fight."

"Rory wouldn't do that," Logan said in her defense. "She's not that kind of person."

The words stung Odette, and she tried to hide it, but Logan saw the look on her face. He'd seen the look before when she'd find some evidence one of Rory's visits. He'd been meticulous before Rory came, but not as much after she left. Odette averted her eyes to the ground, arms still firmly crossed against her chest. He took a step closer, put a finger under her chin, and tilted her face upward. He wanted to look into her eyes.

"I promise you that I will take care of this, and everything is going to be fine," he reassured her. "That's my past. _You_ are my future, and I won't let anything come between us!"

He paused for a moment, wrapping his arms around her, and giving her a soft, gentle kiss. She caved and hugged him in return.

"You know I love you, right?" he asked.

She nodded and continued to look at him.

"You still want to do this?" he asked hopefully.

She nodded a second time and whispered, "I do."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Back at Logan's apartment, he watched his fiancé pack her bag. She was spending the night the Dorchester with her bridesmaids. He felt a little sad because he wanted nothing more than to spend the night wrapped in each other's arms.

"Don't stay up too late drinking with the guys," Odette warned playfully.

"Better tell them that," Logan replied with a chuckle. "I think they've got other plans."

"Don't worry, Odette," Colin said. "We'll make sure he makes it to the church in one piece!"

"I trust _you_ , Colin. It's _Finn_ I don't trust," she admitted with a smile.

"When have I ever steered us wrong?" Finn answered. "Wait, don't answer that!"

Everyone started laughing hysterically. Logan walked Odette to the door.

"I'm going to miss you," he said softly.

"I'll miss you, too, but it's just one night," she stated.

Without warning, he put a hand on each cheek, drawing her face to his, and kissed her passionately. She was a little surprised but put her hand on top of his as she returned the kiss. It left them both a little dizzy and elated. She flashed a smile before she turned and walked away as if she were on cloud nine. Logan was a little relieved that she seemed to be taking this better than her parents.

"So, what was going on earlier?" Colin asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Logan replied. He wasn't really up for discussing his predicament with the guys because he knew how they felt about Rory.

"We saw Charlie Kennedy. He doesn't just _show up_ without some sort of purpose," Colin said knowingly.

Logan thought for a moment and knew this was going to come out sooner or later, so he may as well fill them in.

"Fine, but you guys have to keep this quiet," Logan warned.

"Oh, intrigue!" Robert chimed in.

"You know we're not ones to gossip," Finn reminded him.

"He was delivering some very interesting news," Logan vaguely revealed.

"C'mon, you've got to give us more than that!" Colin begged.

"As it turns out, I'm already a married man," Logan announced.

Finn nearly spat out the scotch that was in his mouth, and Colin's jaw dropped. The guys were in shock, to say the least.

"Are you sure this isn't some sort of a joke?" Robert asked calmly.

Logan shook his head.

"Well, then, who is the lucky Sheila?" Finn probed. "Don't tell me it's Mother!"

"The one and only," Logan affirmed his guess. "Apparently, we got married in Vegas in 2005."

"You've got to be shitting me," Colin exclaimed.

"What you going to do?" Robert asked bluntly.

"An annulment, I suppose. I mean, what else am I going to do? I'm getting married to Odette tomorrow," Logan replied.

"You don't _have_ to marry Odette," Finn suggested quietly.

"I thought you guys liked her," Logan said defensively.

"We do...but...she's not Mother," Finn admitted, and the looks on the other guys' faces said they agreed with the sentiment.

"Oh." Logan's face dropped, and he looked as if he'd been told the worst news.

"Sorry, Mate," Finn apologized.

"Scotch?" Colin asked trying to change the subject. He held up a bottle of Macallan Fine Oak. Finn's attention was immediately drawn to his friend.

"You've said the magic word!" Finn cried and grabbed four fresh glasses. He didn't want to taint the good scotch with the remnants of the regular scotch.

"I'll be back in a few," Logan announced and left for his bedroom.

He couldn't believe what his friends had just said. After the way Rory left things, they had all agreed to put her in the past. He thought they were behind him in this future that he'd finally embraced, but it seemed they'd always hold Rory in the highest regard. It wasn't fair, and there was nothing he could do to make them change their minds. It was how it always would be.

After he quickly changed out of his suit, Logan returned to his friends, who were making good headway on making the scotch disappear. He brought his glass to Colin for a refill.

"We've been trying to figure out when we all went to Vegas in 2005, but none of us seems to remember," Robert started.

"It was after Rory's twenty-first birthday party," Logan said.

"The one _we_ weren't invited to," Colin quipped.

"I was not in charge of the guest list," Logan replied.

"I remember that trip!" Finn chimed in. "I had quite the night with Rosemary!"

"No, you didn't, Finn. You were far too drunk and Rosemary wasn't even there," Robert rebutted.

"It doesn't matter whether Finn slept with Rosemary or if she was on the trip. What does matter is that somehow I married Rory and I don't remember any of it," Logan responded in an attempt to redirect back to the subject at hand.

"I still don't understand how that happened," Colin commented. "Maybe you need to talk to her and see if she remembers it."

"That doesn't seem like a good idea," Logan replied. "I want all of this to be as painless as possible for everyone involved. No sense jeopardizing things with Odette by reminiscing with Ace. There's no good that can come out of that, and I've come too far since she left me for good."

"She left _all_ of us, Mate," Finn reminded him.

"Am I the only one who's realized that she's gone...forever?" Logan asked starting to sound aggravated. "She's not coming back to any of us, and we have to move on. That's exactly what I'm doing with Odette. Now, I'm sorry if you don't like the circumstances, but there's nothing that's going to change because of this."

His friends looked as if they'd just gotten the worst news of their lives. It made him a little angry because he'd worked very hard to move on and accept his new fate. He'd always thought that he and Rory would find a way to be together, but she made it very clear that she would not be a part of his life after New Hampshire. He had hoped to change her mind, and maybe, it was all for the best even if his friends couldn't see it that way.

"Look, can we just forget about this and move on? I know Rory will always hold a special place in each of our hearts, but she's not going to be in the picture. My future is with Odette, and she's the one I'm marrying tomorrow," Logan said. "I know you guys like her and she likes you, too."

"That's fair," Colin answered.

Finn looked a little sad, but he perked up a bit when he saw Logan had poured another round.

"I get it, but Rory will always be Mother," Robert avowed.

"I know Odette will never replace her," Logan replied. _No one can_ , he thought. "I'll never expect that from you."

There was an awkward pause.

"Hey, wait a minute," Colin began. "How the hell are you marrying Odette if you are already married to Rory?"

"We'll hold the ceremony, but all of the legal documents will have to wait until after the annulment," Logan explained the plan.

"That makes sense now," Robert replied.

Silence fell upon the friends for the second time in a matter of minutes. It was rare that they were at a loss for words, but this was so much bigger than they'd ever imagined, and wrapping their heads around this idea was no easy task. Finally, Colin raised his glass, bringing the group's attention back to reality.

"To Huntzberger...may he rest in peace!" he joked as he toasted.

Their laughter cut the tense, uncomfortable feeling in the room. Glasses clinked together and a few small cheers were thrown out.

"Now, let's see if we can't figure out what the hell happened in Vegas," Colin suggested.

"No," Logan responded firmly. "I think I'd rather watch some movies and keep drinking."

"Good idea!" Robert said. "I've got the perfect movie!"

The gang settled in to watch a movie. They smoked cigars and polished off a second bottle of scotch before calling it a night. Surprisingly, they didn't argue when Logan decided to go to bed. As he laid there, his mind began racing, and he couldn't fall asleep. His thoughts kept drifting to that weekend in Las Vegas, trying to piece it together and figure out when he actually married Rory.

"Come on, Ace!" he prodded. "I promise you will love Vegas!"

"Logan, you know my mom and I had the whole Atlantic City thing planned out for my twenty-first," she replied as an excuse not to go.

"Vegas is definitely _not_ Atlantic City!"

"Why does my mother have to be so stubborn?" she lamented. "I had hoped that by inviting her that maybe we could patch things up, but it's only screwed things up even worse. And to top it all off, my grandma has moved me into the big house. She still claims it's only because of the party, but that was three days ago! I know it's from that stupid blabbermouth Reverend. Whatever happened to the seal of confession?!"

"I think that only applies in Catholicism and confession. It doesn't cover metaphorical conversations over dinner," Logan explained.

"I know," she replied sounding disappointed.

"All the more reason to get out of here for a few days! It's the perfect place to blow off steam," he pushed even harder.

Logan watched Rory as the wheels turned in her head, weighing the pros and cons of a trip. He wondered how long she'd take before finally giving in to him, and it was much sooner than he anticipated.

"Let's go!" she agreed with more enthusiasm than he expected.

"Go pack a few things, and I'll make the arrangements! Plan on doing a lot of shopping, too!" he instructed.

"Who else is coming?"

"I figured the usual crew," he answered.

"And Robert," she stated.

"Really?"

"Yes, he _is_ part of the group," she replied. "Besides, don't you want to watch him lose at the poker table?"

"Good point," Logan chuckled. "And it's always entertaining to see him get shot down!"

In less than twenty-four hours, the group of friends was on Finn's family's private jet on their way to Las Vegas. Upon arrival, they checked into their room at Skylofts at MGM, and after freshening up, the gang hit the strip. Going from casino to casino, the guys lost thousands of dollars playing poker until Logan hit a hot streak and refused to leave. With Rory by his side as his good luck charm, he played for several hours. Neither had any idea how much time had elapsed nor had they any recollection of how many drinks they'd consumed. The waitress kept bringing them more drinks, and they kept tipping her handsomely.

When Finn, Colin, and Robert returned to the couple, they'd finally left the poker table and were just shy of stumbling drunk. Rory and Logan were taking turns coming up with harebrained ideas, each one attempting to top the other. The guys would throw in a suggestion, and everyone would laugh until Logan shocked everyone with his proposal.

"Let's get married," he said with a straight face.

"Oh, Honey Bun," Finn joked as he pretended to be surprised. "I thought you'd never ask!"

"Really, Finn?" Colin asked. "I'm pretty sure he was talking to me!"

Before the guys could continue their argument, the couple disappeared. A quick scan of the crowd, they say them headed toward the front door of the casino. The three friends practically ran to catch up to Rory and Logan as they hastened toward the exit.

"Where are you going?" Robert asked bluntly.

"Nowhere," Rory and Logan said simultaneously and burst into a fit of laughter.

"If we're going nowhere, let's go in style!" Finn suggested and called the car company while everyone went back into the casino and headed straight for the bar.

A short limo ride later, the happy couple stumbled into a wedding chapel with their friends in tow. Everyone was happily drunk as they had polished off a few bottles of champagne on the way. Within moments, Logan and Rory were reciting vows, and the guys showered them in flower petals. It quickly turned into them throwing handfuls in their faces as they made their way outside. The limo was waiting right where they left it fifteen minutes ago.

"To the MGM, my good man," Colin called from the back and cracked open another bottle of champagne to celebrate.

Once they arrived back at the hotel, they immediately went up to the suite to continue their celebration with more alcohol and some room service. The next morning, everyone woke up with horrible hangovers and absolutely no recollection of what happened the night before. They spent the next few hours hydrating and eating tacos at Rory's suggestion.

"I swear, it's the best hangover food," she averred.

At first, the guys took small, tentative bites of the tacos she'd gotten from the place just down the street from the hotel. She'd managed to sweet talk them into delivering by promising a very large tip. After a few nibbles, they couldn't get enough of them. Robert ate his a little too quickly and paused, looking as if he were going to give into his unsettled stomach.

"Don't you dare puke in here, Mate," Finn warned with a slightly queasy look.

Robert sat for a moment as the feeling quickly subsided.

"I don't think I've ever had a hangover dissipate so quickly," Colin quipped. "This is magical! Who taught you this voodoo?"

"I'm going to wager a guess that it was Lorelai," Logan replied.

"I'm glad you're finally able to recognize the genius of my mom," Rory answered.

"I still don't understand your relationship with your mom," Colin said.

"The concept is foreign to me as well," Finn chimed in.

"Oh, I'm sure you could learn things from your parents, too," Rory replied.

"If you mean how to figure out which blonde is the hottest, or how to pick a new wife, then my dad has already given me a plethora of invaluable information," Colin retorted.

"He does have exquisite taste in women," Robert added.

"All of your mums have been very hot," Finn said with a smile.

The friends polished off every single taco and hydrated per Rory's orders. After they started feeling a little more human, everyone went off to get ready for the day. Once they were done, they returned to the main room of the suite one-by-one.

"So, what's next on the agenda?" Rory asked.

"You'll have to wait and see," Logan replied with a wink.

After shopping in various boutiques and taking in a couple of shows, everyone was tired or bored. The guys had all struck out in the lady department, which amused Rory.

"Maybe, if you'd quit acting so drunk and desperate..." she suggested.

"Thanks," Colin replied sarcastically.

"Let's just go back to Hartford," Finn said.

"Actually," Rory began. "I'd be ok with that."

"Are you sure?" Logan wondered.

Yeah, I've got some things to do for the D.A.R., and next week is jammed with a million things," she answered.

"Finn, can you arrange the flight for later today?" Logan requested.

"Certainly," he agreed and disappeared to make the necessary phone calls.

When they left, no one noticed the single piece of paper peeking out from between the bed and nightstand in Logan and Rory's room. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Logan shot straight up in his bed and looked around the room. He was in his apartment, in his bed. Once the fog from his dream had lifted, he realized that he must have been remembering the Vegas trip when he married Rory. It all seemed too real to him, and he recalled that was the memory he was trying to conjure when he must have fallen asleep. He quickly threw on some lounge pants and a t-shirt before racing into the living room. Robert was entranced in some movie while Colin was passed out on the couch. Finn was nowhere to be found.

"Colin, wake up, man!" Logan called as he shook his friend gently.

"Huh? What the-?!" he replied groggily.

"Logan, what's going on?" Robert asked.

"I think I remember," he announced.

"Remember what? That you're getting married tomorrow?" Colin retorted.

"No," he answered. "Rory."

Colin perked up at the mention of her name, and Robert's interest was also piqued.

"You remembered?" Robert wondered. "After all of these years?"

"Yes, well, I think I do," he answered and went on to describe his dream.

As he recalled the details, the guys chimed in with their own memories every now and then, confirming his dream and filling in missing details. In the end, they seemed to be on the same page with Logan, but no one would say that's what happened for sure. It all seemed perfectly plausible, and they definitely remembered the hangover that spanked all of them.

"Hey, where's Finn?" Logan asked after noticing his friend's absence.

"He said something about being back later. I wasn't listening that close, to be honest," Robert said.

"I wouldn't be too concerned unless he doesn't show up tomorrow. This is typical Finn," Colin chimed in.

"He wouldn't miss this! I think he's hoping to hook up with Odette's sister," Robert added.

"You've got a point!" Logan agreed.

"So," Colin began. "When are you going to call her?"

"I don't know. I haven't thought that far ahead," Logan answered.

"You could still call Mother tonight," Robert suggested. "It's not too late back home."

"That's definitely _not_ a good idea," Logan replied. "After the wedding, I'll send her a message and go from there."

His friends looked disappointed.

"What if _I_ did it?" Colin asked.

"No, this is my problem. I don't know how she's going to take any of this, and I prefer to not have it hanging over my head all through the ceremony," Logan explained.

"Then, I suggest you march back into your bedroom and get your beauty sleep," Robert ordered, trying to sound light-hearted.

"Fine, but can you hide your disappointment a little better tomorrow? I don't want Odette to feel uncomfortable. This is already awkward enough for her," Logan requested.

The guys nodded in assent. He knew they wouldn't do anything deliberately to hurt his fiancé, but he wanted to make his feelings clear on the situation. He went back into his room, slipped out of his clothes, and climbed back into bed. For the next thirty minutes, he tossed and turned trying to get back to sleep. He couldn't shake Rory from his thoughts, and he knew he needed to do something so he could get back to sleep.

 **Logan:** Hey, Ace. We need to talk.

He set his phone down after the text, wanting to feel a sense of relief. It didn't pacify the feeling of dread. He knew he wouldn't feel better until she signed those papers, and that meant he'd have to go see her. You don't just ask someone for an annulment over a text or email. A moment later, his phone buzzed at him.

 _Wow,_ he thought. _I didn't expect a response so soon. Please let this be easy!_

Looking at his phone, he saw it was an error message saying the text was undeliverable.

"What the -" he exclaimed quietly.

 _Did she change her number already?_ he wondered. _It's only been a few months since New Hampshire. How in the world am I going to find her now?_

He knew the answer to his own question and felt the knot forming in his stomach. Logan was going to have to go to Stars Hollow to find her because he didn't have any other way to get ahold of her outside of email, which he was sure she'd probably blocked.

Tucking away the disappointment, Logan tried to go back to sleep, but it was useless. Another two hours of restless slumber went by before he finally gave up. He pulled out his work laptop. _If I can't sleep, I may as well be productive_ , he thought. He could feel himself starting to get drowsy, so he closed his computer and laid back down. It felt as if his brain couldn't shut off enough to go to sleep no matter how tired his body was. Since work didn't do the job, he decided to try a book.

Next thing he knew, he woke up to the sound of his alarm with the book still sprawled across his chest. He felt even more tired than the night before due to this significantly abbreviated slumber. Groggily, he got ready for the big day. He made some extra strong coffee to help battle the fatigue, knowing he'd have to make it through a very long day. Once he got going, he didn't feel quite as exhausted.

The wedding went off without a hitch, and no one had any inkling of the drama going on behind the scenes. At times, Logan had even forgotten about it. He and Odette seemed more in love than ever before. He didn't know if this was eating her up on the inside, or if she was truly enjoying herself. As expected in society, she hid her true feelings well. At one point, he realized that things were going almost _too_ well. Everything seemed too easy, and it set off alarms inside. _Something bad is going to happen, but I don't know what. Every wedding has something go wrong,_ he thought. _Last night couldn't be the only drama that happened, but maybe it was_. He tried to put the feeling out of his mind and enjoy his new bride and the festivities.

After the reception, the couple had their first dance. Logan left the song choice to his beautiful bride, and she kept it a surprise for him. They were called to the floor by the leader of the band, who said a few words about the couple. Looking quite smitten, he wrapped his bride in his arms, and the band began to play. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She'd chosen _Moon River_. Logan tried to hide his feelings as memories of Rory came flooding back into his memory. It had been the song they first danced to at her grandparents' vow renewal.

He desperately tried to bury those thoughts and focus on the beautiful woman before him. Odette was still smiling at him. She didn't seem to have noticed his internal distraction. Before his ex's memories could pervade his thoughts, he passionately kissed Odette. She was in a little surprised by reciprocated.

"I love you," he whispered with a soft smile.

At this point in her life, he'd become an expert compartmentalizer. Logan shoved his Rory memories into a drawer and slammed it shut so he could concentrate on Odette. Once the dance had finished, everyone else was invited to join in the dancing, which had turned more upbeat. After a few more songs, he made his way over to the bar to get himself a drink.

"Where'd Finn go?" Colin asked as he approached his friend.

"I don't know. It's not my day to watch it," Logan retorted a bit harsher than he intended.

"Sorry," he apologized. "No need to get snippy with me. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just a little busy with the wedding, so, I haven't kept tabs on him," Logan replied.

"No, man. Something's up. What gives?" Colin pressed.

"I'm fine," he said and swallowed his drink. He glanced over and saw his friend enter the room looking a little disheveled. "There's Finn."

He didn't want to tell his friend about the confliction he was starting to feel. He simply couldn't because he knew how they felt about Rory. He would just have to do a better job of hiding his feelings. A couple more drinks of scotch helped him put her out of his mind and focus on his future. No one said a word to him about it for the rest of the night, and Logan pretended that nothing was wrong.

After the wedding, and for the next week, he focused on life with Odette while they traveled to Fiji for an abbreviated honeymoon. The sand, sun, sexy, and scotch helped take his mind off his impending trip to Stars Hollow. Odette didn't mention anything, and he didn't bring it up. Normally, they would talk about things that were bothering them, but this time, it was better left unsaid. There were a few things in Fiji that reminded Logan of his ex, so that made things much easier, but the inevitable loomed closer with each passing day.

By day three, he'd sufficiently numbed his conscious to a point where things in the real world weren't weighing on his mind as heavily. It was a similar coping technique he'd used after seeing his Ace in Hamburg for the first time since she'd turned down his proposal. Eventually, he listened to his friends and attempted to contact her, which resulted in another round of them dating. Once things had become too difficult, they decided on the Vegas arrangement. He'd been under an enormous amount of pressure to settle down and marry a nice socialite who'd been hand-picked by his parents. Rory had made it abundantly clear she didn't and couldn't see herself in that role, but they didn't want to end their relationship. He hadn't really told her about all of the blind dates and set-ups by his own mother, and Rory never disclosed her attempts in love either.

He'd always hoped that she'd come around to the idea of marrying him, and when she didn't, he knew he'd have to make good on the promise he'd made to his family. It wasn't simply a matter of getting married. He needed to wed someone his family approved of and provide an heir to secure his own fortune. His grandfather, Elias, had made certain of that by providing a stipulation in his will. If there was one thing Logan had learned from his family, it was that they were going to get their way no matter what, and they didn't care who got hurt in the process.

Once he returned home, he would have less than a week to prepare for the visit to the states. Not only did he have some business to take care of, he also had to quickly rectify the situation with Rory. He felt that a visit from his lawyer or a mere letter would be too impersonal and worried that might make the whole thing much more difficult in the long run. He knew she didn't personally have deep pockets, but she could summon the likes of the Gilmore matriarch. Although it seemed unlike her, he couldn't risk the chance. He wanted his bases covered for all contingencies.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Logan finally arrived in Stars Hollow, he made his way to Lorelai's house. The last he know, Rory lived at home and worked as the editor for the local paper. If no one was home, he'd try the paper or the inn. Before he could ring the doorbell, Lorelai opened the door, nearly running into him, and was startled by his presence.

"Oh, Logan," she said sounding quite surprised. "What are you doing here? Did Rory finally tell you?"

"Tell me what?" he asked curiously. _What could she possibly have to tell me?_ he wondered.

"Nothing. Nevermind."

"What was she going to tell me?" he asked a second time.

"Forget I even said anything. She's not here. She's probably at the paper," she answered. "I've got to run. Michel hates when I'm late for our monthly meeting at Weston's. Bye!"

She quickly scampered off the porch, and it seemed to Logan that she was trying to get away from him without giving him any more information.

"Thanks," he called to her as she left.

He walked the few minutes to the paper where Lorelai said Rory would be. As he got closer, he could see her working through the big windows on the front of the building. He'd always been intrigued watching her work. It was almost relaxing for him and had provided insight into her psyche as he studied her every move. She seemed content to him but not overly happy. She smiled as she looked at her phone. He didn't know the cause of the smile, but it wasn't him. Suddenly, he felt the weight of the folio that contained the paperwork for the annulment. He watched as she got up from her desk and headed to the front door. He ducked out of sight, not ready to be seen by his former flame.

Once she was out of sight, he quickly went back to his car at the Gilmore residence. He felt his heart racing as he struggled to catch his breath. Despite the short time lapse since their last meeting, she still made him a little nervous and excited. He tried to shake the feeling as he recalled his reason for the trip. Dread mixed into his emotions as he thought about the task at hand.

 _God, why is this so hard? Rory is my_ _past_ _._ _She_ _said goodbye. I'm happy with Odette now. I just need to be upfront and get this done,_ he thought.

As Rory left the Gazette, she thought she saw Logan but that couldn't be. _Why would he be here?_ she asked herself disbelievingly. Ever since she found out she was pregnant, she'd been seeing people that weren't there. On several occasions, she'd seen her late grandfather. Other times, she thought she saw other people she knew, but this was the first instance seeing Logan, which was a little surprising. The person had ducked around the corner out of her view and her gut said to follow him.

Rory pretended to head to Luke's. Then, she double-backed to follow her voyeur. The blonde-haired male quickly walked toward her house, which made her more suspicious. She'd noted the expensive car in the driveway. She watched him as he sat there but didn't move. She got as close as she dared without revealing her presence.

 _The guy in the car certainly looks like Logan, but what is he doing here?_ she wondered. _I saw in the news that he was married, so why is he here?_

Taking a chance, she slipped around the side of her house, going in the back door. She wanted to get a closer look at the mystery man, and the only way to do that was through the living room window.

 _It_ _is_ _Logan_ , she exclaimed silently and feeling vindicated. _What the heck is going on?_

Rory couldn't think of a single possible reason for him to be in Stars Hollow. He'd just gotten married a couple of weeks ago, and, as far as she knew, he had absolutely no business in the small town. _Oh, please don't tell me HPG acquired the Gazette_ , she panicked silently. _I don't want to have to answer to him as my boss, or worse, Mitchum._ She continued to think of scenarios that could explain his visit, but nothing seemed to fit. _It has to be a sign. I know what I have to do_ , she rationalized.

Boldly, she walked out the front door and headed directly to his car. Knocking on the window, she noticed he was obviously startled by the noise, and then by her presence. He rolled down the window. She leaned down to him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked firmly.

"I need to talk to you," he replied. "I tried sending you a message, but you changed your number."

"I did," she confirmed. "What do you need to talk about? It must be important if you came all the way to Stars Hollow."

"It's kind of a delicate subject," he said tentatively.

She stood there for a moment, waiting for him to expound on his statement. If they stayed outside, the whole town would be talking about the incident for weeks. She wasn't quite showing yet and was definitely not ready for the chatter that would be surrounding her for months to come. Rory didn't want the gossip to start any earlier, so she thought it best to get away from the town's ever-watchful eyes.

"Do you want to go inside?"

"Ok," he agreed and nodded his head.

Rory led Logan inside, and they sat in the kitchen. Anticipation and tension hung in the air, mixing together to create an uncomfortable silence. In the past, no matter how long it had been, they had a way of picking up right where they'd left off, except for that first meeting in Hamburg about five years ago. By that time, her rejected proposal had been water under the bridge.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked as she grabbed some coffee for herself. She despised the decaf, but it was better than no coffee.

"I'll have some water. I think it's a little early for scotch," he replied with a slight chuckle.

"That's never stopped you before," she quipped. The tension had finally lessened, but it was far from gone.

"You've got me there," he conceded.

"So, what is so important that you came all the way here to talk about?"

Logan took a deep breath. "An annulment."

"But you just got married to Odette. Isn't that something you'd discuss with your lawyer, or your wife?" she wondered sounding confused.

"I'm talking about an annulment...for us."

"Now, you've lost me," she said.

"Apparently, we're married," he revealed.

Rory nearly spat out her coffee.

"What? When?" she demanded

"Since 2005."

"Are you kidding me? Is this some sort of joke?" she exclaimed.

"No, I had no idea either until I was told the night before..." his voice trailed off. He was starting to feel even more uncomfortable talking about Odette with the woman who _was_ the love of his life. The connection between them had always been so strong and being around Rory clouded his judgment concerned Odette.

"Your wedding?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," he replied softly.

"Then, how did you get married if we're..." she questioned after she thought for a moment about the whole messed up situation. Her life had become one mess after another with her failing journalism career, moving back home, getting pregnant, and now, the icing on the cake of actually being married to Logan.

"The wedding was simply a ceremony, and there was no paperwork signed," he explained. "I couldn't legally obtain a license because of _our_ union."

"Oh," she stated. "So, you want me to sign off on an annulment for something I don't even remember?"

Rory felt like she was on the verge of tears. She wasn't the girl who broke into tears at the drop of a hat. In fact, she'd usually had pretty good control of her emotions. _Stupid hormones_ , she lamented silently.

"I wish I had some scotch," Logan muttered under his breath. He looked as if he were trying to find a way out of the room. He'd never expected this reaction from his ex.

"I'm sorry," she apologized as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. She was embarrassed because she felt out of control emotionally.

"I didn't mean to spring this on you, and I tried to message you -"

"I know," she interrupted. "I'm just not myself lately."

There was an awkward pause, and Rory began to cry again. Logan desperately wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know if he should. After a moment, when she still hadn't calmed down, he reached over and gently stroked her arm in an attempt to help her calm down.

"Ace -" he started.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out with no warning.

Logan pulled his hand back immediately. He was dumbfounded. "How? When?"

"Do I really have to explain the birds and bees to you?"

The realization slowly crept onto his face as the wheels in his head continued turning at a furious pace.

"You know what I mean," he said as he continued to process the shocking news.

Then, it dawned on him. Rory immediately recognized the expression.

"If you're wondering if it's yours, the answer is yes."

"Were you going to tell me?" he asked with piqued curiosity.

"I...I...don't know. I mean, I wanted to, but I didn't know how, and I didn't want to mess up your preordained life," she replied honestly.

Logan sat in stunned silence, not knowing what to say. He was playing with the manila envelope that contained the annulment papers. He was in shock. Not only was he married to the woman he thought was out of his life forever, but now, she told him she was carrying his child. Anger had started to creep in when he considered the fact that she wasn't even sure she was going to tell him about the baby. He didn't know what to say, but he knew he couldn't stay there.

"I'm going to leave this with you. Have your lawyer look it over," he said sounding almost cold. He set the paperwork on the table and left the Gilmore's house.

"Logan, please wait a minute," she called to him, but she was too late. He was out the door before she could finish. She started to feel overwhelmed. Opening the envelope, she pulled out the papers. There was also a copy of the marriage license from Nevada. She wracked her memory trying to remember the trip. After a few moments, she recalled a few details of the trip because most of it was a drunken blur. It was shortly after her twenty-first birthday and was the only time she'd been to Vegas. Rory couldn't believe she'd gotten so drunk that she married Logan and neither had remembered it. A million questions swirled in her head, and only Logan could help. She knew she really didn't want to stir up old memories, but she really needed answers before moving forward.

 _I can just sign this blindly even after consulting a lawyer, which I was going to do before he suggested it. Only Logan can provide the answers that I need, and maybe he'll agree to meet up at a neutral location to discuss this mess_ , she thought.

She bit the bullet and shot him a message.

 **Rory** : Logan, it's Rory. You're right. Can we talk about all of this?


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Rory couldn't sit and wait for her mom to come home, so she immediately got into her car and drove to the inn. She was still a bit shocked from Logan's visit. Before she knew it, she had arrived at the Dragonfly.

"Hi, Michel," Rory greeted him. "Have you seen my mom?"

"No, I have not. It's not my day to watch her," he replied snarkily in his French accent.

"You haven't seen her at all?" she pried.

"I'm far too busy with the cross-country ski team. Try Luke's," he suggested.

"I'm pretty sure she said she was going to be here most of the day," Rory continued.

"Did you try following the pop tart crumbs?"

"I'm kind of in a hurry here," she replied.

"Then why don't you go find her yourself," he quipped rudely. "You don't want to listen to me telling you she's not here."

Rory left the front desk without another word to Michel. It was obvious he was in a mood, and according to her mother, he'd been quite moody since Fredrick had made it painfully clear he wanted to find a surrogate sooner rather than later for the twins he'd had his heart set on. Michel despised the notion of one baby, so the thought of two caused him more stress. He still hadn't found a way to tell his husband that the idea of raising a child repulsed him. He liked their freedom to do as they chose without having to consider dependents.

Recently, he'd been so short with Lorelai that she'd been avoiding him most of the time. Rory went into her mother's office to find it empty.

 **Rory** : Where are you?

 **Lorelai** : I'm here. Where are you?

 **Rory** : Funny. I _need_ to talk!

 **Lorelai** : I'm at Luke's for lunch.

 **Rory** : I'll be there in five minutes.

When she arrived at Luke's, she saw her mother at a counter seat. Luke saw Rory enter and poured her a cup of coffee. It was a half-caff per their agreement. He was concerned about the baby being a java junkie like its mother and grandmother before, and she knew she needed to cut back on caffeine. At first, she tried doing one regular coffee and switching to decaf, but it was too much of a shock to her system. He suggested doing two half-caff coffees instead of having straight decaf. Sometimes, she'll sneak in a third, but it's only when he's not around. It took some adjustment, and now, she's used to it.

"I thought we were meeting for lunch," Lorelai said to her daughter.

"Oh, crap! I'm sorry. I got distracted," she replied.

"Logan?"

"How did you know?" she asked in surprise. Although, she knew she shouldn't be too shocked that her mother knew. "Can we go somewhere private to discuss this? There are too many eyes and ears around here!"

"Hey, Luke," Lorelai called to her husband. "Could you bring an order of fries upstairs?"

"Sure, but why are you going up there?" he asked.

"I'll fill you in later," she said quietly.

Once safely upstairs, Lorelai started firing off questions.

"Why didn't you tell me he was coming?"

"Who?" Rory asked.

"Logan," her mother replied. "Why was he here? Did you finally tell him?"

"Mom," Rory started. "I had no idea he was coming."

"Why didn't he just call you?"

"He couldn't. I changed my number after...you know."

"The night that will live in infamy," Lorelai quipped.

"Really, Mom?" her daughter asked exasperatedly. It dawned on her that her mother hadn't answered how she knew that Logan was in Stars Hollow. Obviously, she hadn't revealed that information to her. "Wait! How did you know Logan was here in the first place?"

"He came to the house looking for you earlier. I told him to try the paper," Lorelai replied. "I had to get back to the inn before Michel sent the ski team on a route that would get them killed because he's still angry with Fredrick."

"Oh, ok," she said. "Anyway, he had some very interesting news."

"Don't make me wait! What is it? He decided not to marry the French heiress?"

"That's not entirely wrong, but it's much juicier than that," Rory vaguely explained.

"I did not spend hours of my life in the pains of labor to have you cause me more pain by having to wait for this _supposed_ juicy news," Lorelai retorted.

"Well, apparently, something happened shortly after my twenty-first birthday party," she continued.

"I thought we swore to never speak of our black period," her mother reminded.

"I never told you about the trip where Logan and the guys took me to Vegas."

"After all of our Atlantic City plans, you cheated on me with Las Vegas?! How could you?" Lorelai accused.

"This is why I didn't tell you. I knew you'd get all Anne Hathaway vying for an Oscar dramatic about it," Rory replied.

"Fine," she conceded. "What happened in Vegas?"

"You know what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas!" she laughed.

"If you don't want me to get Britney goes after the paparazzi with an umbrella crazy, I suggest you tell me now!"

"Unbeknownst to any of us, Logan and I got married and have been ever since," Rory revealed.

"No!" Lorelai practically shouted. "Shut the front door! Then, what about his wedding to the socialite? Wouldn't that be considered polygamy?"

"It still happened just not legally. He wants an annulment," she said.

"So...did you tell him then?"

"I wanted to do it tactfully, but I just blurted it out."

"What was his reaction?" Lorelai asked.

"He didn't know what to say. I told him it was his, and then he seemed to get angry that I hadn't told him and wasn't sure if I wanted to. He left a manila envelope with what I can only assume contains the annulment papers."

"You didn't look?" she questioned.

"No, I kind of freaked out a little and came to find you," Rory replied.

"Wow."

"I know."

"No, I mean, WOW!" her mother repeated.

"I know, Mom."

"I think you need to talk to him," Lorelai suggested.

"It seems he's made his feelings quite clear. Besides, he didn't waste much time getting the paperwork together."

"Rory, you've got to give him some time to process this. He just found out the woman he's legally married to is pregnant with his child," she said.

"I suppose. I tried to text him, but I'm not sure he wants anything to do with me," she replied.

"Of course he does. You are the mother of his child. He's not the type to ignore that," Lorelai encouraged.

"That's what I'm afraid of," Rory confessed.

The duo sat in silence for a few more minutes as they contemplated the situation.

"Mom, I thought I had finally quit him," Rory said quietly.

"I know you did, Kid," she replied and put her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "It's going to be fine, but I really do think you need to figure out what you want. I mean, regarding the baby."

"I thought I did, and now, I'm not so sure," Rory admitted. She caught a glimpse of the clock.

"Oh, crap! I've got to get back to the paper!"

On her way out, she ran into Luke at the bottom of the stairs and took the container of fries from him.

"Thanks, Luke!"

After returning to the paper, Rory tried to finish the article she was working on about the successful installation of the new sewer system, but she couldn't focus. She kept replaying the scene with Logan. Everything reminded her of him. Then, her thoughts drifted back to the day he whisked her away for their wild ride. Recalling Petal running through the streets with a sign brought a smile to her face.

 _No_ , she thought. _This has to end. He seems to have made up his mind. I shouldn't have left that envelope at home._

"Hey, Esther, could you let Charlie know that I've decided to go home? I'm not feeling so well," Rory asked her colleague.

"I'll be here...filing. I can't promise I'll remember," she replied flatly.

"Fine. I should be back tomorrow," Rory added.

"Does this have anything to do with the blonde fellow you were following earlier? I mean, after he watched you for about fifteen minutes," Esther asked.

Rory blushed. _I didn't think they paid much attention to anything else_ , she wondered.

"No, I'm just not feeling well," Rory reiterated and grabbed her things quickly before leaving. "I've got to see what these papers say," she muttered to herself.

Walking as quickly as she could, Rory made it home in record time. She looked all over trying to find the envelope because she couldn't remember where she had left it. The living room was void, and so was her bedroom. Absent-mindedly, she went to the kitchen to make some coffee until she spied her prize on the kitchen table.

Abandoning her coffee quest, she sat at the table and opened the envelope. _This seems like a lot of paper for something that's supposed to be fairly cut and dry_ , she thought. The first paper was a copy of their marriage license from the state of Nevada. There were their names joined together. _I must have been really drunk if I was going to be known as a Gilmore-Huntzberger, but there it was on the license. No way would I have taken his last name. I'm a Gilmore! What the hell happened?_ she wondered, trying to recall any details. For some reason, she started smiling as she repeatedly reread their names and the date. _STOP!_ she screamed silently. She hid the copy under the legal document.

Next, she attempted the annulment paperwork. As she read along, her thoughts drifted and nothing seemed to make much sense. _Focus, Rory!_ she chided herself silently. Starting over, she slowly perused the document. Some of it seemed pretty clear, but most of it was in legalese. Even though the words were in English, it seemed like a foreign language to her. She gave up about half-way through. _There's no point in trying to decipher this. I need to talk to someone who can understand this, and I don't have the funding for some high-powered attorney,_ she thought. _I can't ask Grandma because I haven't even told her about the baby, yet. Before, I'd talk to Colin about something like this, but he's the author AND one of Logan's best friends. Can I really trust him? If I'm asking myself that question, the answer is no. That leaves only one option: Paris._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Logan hadn't realized just how fast he'd been driving until he was slowed to a snail's pace by the rush hour traffic in Hartford. It was something he definitely didn't miss about living in the US. Traffic was terrible in London, but he never had to battle it personally. Fortunately, he was staying in one of the executive apartments that the Huntzberger Publishing Group held for visiting VIPs, and it was located in one of the outlying suburbs. He preferred the apartments to that of a hotel any day. It had all of the comforts of home.

He was still reeling from Rory's news of being pregnant. At first, he'd wondered if she was telling him the truth, but a more rational head prevailed. She had no reason to lie to him, and she simply wasn't the type to 'trap her man'. She'd had her shot with him and chose to end it all for good.

Now, there was another layer to this problem. Seeing Rory brought back so many memories and feelings that'd he'd buried so deep, trying to forget. It made him start questioning everything, and he wasn't ready to deal with that kind of uncertainty. His phone buzzed, and he saw the message from Odette.

 **Odette** : Hope things are going well for you. I miss you. XX

The text stung a little because he had started to sense the pangs of guilt over his resurging feelings for Rory. He was thankful she didn't accompany him on this trip stateside. _Almost instinctively, she knew better than to suggest the option. You just don't find that every day_ , he thought to try to convince himself that he'd made the right choice, even if the universe was screaming at him otherwise. Finding out he was married to Rory, who, he found out, was pregnant with his child were signs far too big to ignore.

The rest of the way back to the apartment, he tried to compartmentalize his situation, but his mind kept wandering to a life with Rory. It was something he'd hoped for until that morning in New Hampshire. He started remembering the hurt he'd felt and the subsequent heartache that led to the worst bender he had ever been on. Odette had stuck with him through all of it and didn't ask questions. _She's intelligent and loves me, despite all of my flaws_ , he thought.

Once he was in his apartment for the week, he poured himself a big glass of scotch. Before he could answer his wife, a message from Finn popped up.

 **Finn** : How'd it go? How did she look? Did she say anything about me?

 **Logan** : How do you think it went?

 **Finn** : So, it didn't go well?

 **Logan** : No, it didn't go well at all. And she didn't say anything about you or anyone else for that matter.

 **Finn** : I'm sorry, Mate.

 **Logan** : To top it off...she's pregnant.

Before another message could come in, Finn's ringtone blasted from Logan's phone.

"What? Are you kidding? Who's the father? Tell me it's mine!" Finn fired off.

"I'm definitely not kidding. Why the hell would it be yours? Do you know something I don't?" Logan asked.

"I'm just saying I don't remember everything when I drink, and I'm not responsible for my actions!" Finn said.

"C'mon, Finn. Get serious," Logan requested. "It's mine."

"A man can dream," he replied with a chuckle.

"Really, Finn? You want to be a father?" Logan questioned in a more somber tone than his friend.

"No, that idea is not appealing. I can't lie though, if it meant keeping Mother in my life, I might be ok with it," he confessed.

"She wasn't even sure she was going to tell me," Logan explained sadly.

"Wow, I'm shocked, but it's only been what, four months? I think she would have come 'round. This is huge!" Finn said. "She _would_ have told you."

"You didn't _see_ her."

"How did she look?"

"Beautiful, glowing," Logan replied without a second thought.

There was a long pause. He hadn't meant to blurt that out, but he did and couldn't take it back. His mind was littered with thoughts of her and honest had prevailed when talking to his friend.

"What can I do?" Finn wondered.

"At this point, there's nothing you can do. This is my mess," Logan answered.

"I could talk to her," Finn offered.

"And say what exactly?"

"Sorry, I'm just trying to help. I know you want this to be over, but maybe it's a sign," he suggested.

"Don't you think I've fucking considered that?" Logan shouted angrily. He couldn't contain his frustration over the situation. "She doesn't want me, Finn. She doesn't want any of us. I don't know why anyone even held out any hope. Didn't you hear what I said earlier? She wasn't even sure she was going to tell me about the baby - OUR FUCKING BABY! I can't get hurt like that again."

The other end was unusually quiet, almost too quiet. Logan wondered if his friend had hung up on him. He felt bad that he was taking it out on him.

"Finn?" Logan asked quietly. He hadn't meant to yell at him, but he couldn't control his emotions, and the scotch did nothing to help him.

"Yeah, I guess I hadn't really looked at it that way, but you don't have to take it out on me. I'm trying to be a good friend."

"Sorry, man," Logan apologized.

"I get it. Just let me help you," Finn begged.

"Fine," Logan conceded.

"I'll be there tomorrow. I've got some business to attend to anyway, but I'll push it up a bit," he said.

"What about Marie?" he asked knowingly, changing the subject.

"She'll just have to live without me," Finn replied absently.

"So, there is something going on between you two!" Logan exclaimed and felt a little relieved to be on a different subject.

"Kind of - I don't really know," he said. "Don't let this get out or my reputation will be lost!"

"You expect me to keep this from Odette?" Logan questioned and could hear his friend's grumble of displeasure on the other end. "It doesn't have to be like this."

He didn't know if it was the mere mention of his wife's name or the idea that Logan was still sharing things with her. He considered that it might just be that Finn preferred Rory to Odette. _They're just going to have to get over it_ , he lamented silently. _I'm going to get the papers signed, go back to London, and get on with my life._

"I've got to go. Bye, Logan," Finn stated flatly and ended the call.

 _That was cold_ , Logan thought. _Are the guys really expecting me to run back to Rory after everything? What the hell am I supposed to do now? I can't stop thinking about her and my friends won't listen to a word I say. They still have some silly preconceived notion of a 'happily ever after' for us. That's just a fairy tale that only happens in RomComs - definitely_ _not_ _real life! Besides, that door closed the moment she said goodbye to me and locked when she didn't tell me about the baby._

Logan's phone dinged and saw the text that Rory had sent. For some reason, anger bean resonating inside of him.

 **Logan** : I don't think that's a good idea. Just consult with your lawyer about the papers. It's a basic annulment. No one gets anything except we dissolve the bonds of marriage, and it's as if nothing ever happened in Vegas. Pretty standard stuff. Colin is the one who did the paperwork, in order to remain fully discreet. I'd appreciate it if you did it in a timely manner.

After he pushed send, regret swept over him and the tide began pulling him under. _Bloody hell! What did I just do? No, I have to be done with this, yet there's the baby, too. It's not the baby's fault. He or she didn't choose to be a part of this_ , he thought.

Before she could reply, he sent another message.

 **Logan** : I'd like to set up a trust fund for the baby. I know you don't want it, but it will be there. You can use it for whatever you need for the baby: house, school, activities.

 **Rory** : Your texts make you sound like a damn Katy Perry song.

 **Logan** : Huh?

He reread his texts and nothing sounded like a crappy pop song.

 **Rory** : You're cold one message and trying to sound kind and caring in the next.

 **Logan** : I'm just looking out for our child's best interest.

 **Rory** : There's no _our_ child, Logan. You seem to have no interest in any of this, but you want to look good by setting up a trust fund.

 _Why does this all have to be so difficult?_ he thought and was completely frustrated by this whole situation.

 **Logan** : I'm sorry. Let's just meet up like you suggested.

 **Rory** : I have to go to NYC tomorrow, so, it would have to be tonight.

 **Logan** : I'm staying in Hartford. Know a good coffee place?

 **Rory** : How about dinner? I know a place. Meet at seven?

 **Logan** : Sure, shoot me the details.

In the midst of his conversation with Rory, he got another text from his wife.

 **Odette** : I'm getting a little worried. You didn't answer before. Is everything alright?

 _Damn! I forgot to text her back thanks to Finn_ , he thought.

 **Logan** : Everything is fine. Work is just a little crazy.

He was lying to her, but he didn't want to discuss any of this until it was over. Rory sent Logan the address of a restaurant, and he recognized the name.

 **Logan** : Isn't that the place we used to go when you lived with your grandparents?

 **Odette** : I'm not sure what you are talking about.

 _Oh, shit! I sent that reply to Odette_ , he thought as he cringed.

 **Logan** : Disregard.

 **Odette** : Was that meant for...someone else?

She didn't have to say the name, but Logan knew exactly who she was talking about. _God, I was hoping she wouldn't read into it,_ he muttered under his breathe.

 **Logan** : Yes. We are meeting up to talk about the papers. Nothing more.

He double-checked before he sent one last text to Rory.

 **Logan** : Sounds good. See you tomorrow, Ace.

 _I've really got to pay attention and get my head in the game for this_ , he thought. Another text from his wife appeared.

 **Odette** : Logan, please be careful...for us.

 **Rory** : Logan...

 _Why am I getting a chastising text from her?_ he wondered until he saw that he called her 'Ace' just as he'd become accustomed to doing for years.

Without thinking, he composed a response to his wife.

 **Logan** : I will. I promise. I love you.

 **Rory** : I don't think that was for me.

 _Fuck! I've got to get my head on straight_ , he lamented silently.

 **Logan** : No, it wasn't. Sorry. I'll see you tomorrow.

He copied the message meant for his wife and verified three times before sending it again.

 **Odette** : I love you, too. I can't wait to see you this weekend!

 **Logan** : Me, too.

Originally, he was supposed to be stateside for the week. He didn't think he would have any issues getting Rory to sign the papers, and he'd be back in London by the weekend. He couldn't have been more wrong. There was a small piece of his heart that would always belong to her, and it was growing bigger and stronger ever since he saw her. No matter what his cool brain told him, his heart countered with warmth. _How could I have been so blind to think all of this was going to be cut-and-dry? Nothing with Ace has ever been easy. No! She's not 'Ace' anymore. She's Rory...nothing more_ , he thought, but his heart screamed otherwise. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Just before seven, Logan arrived at the agreed upon restaurant. He wanted to be early, but work had managed to keep him going until he was nearly late. He felt lucky he made it before their set time. He knew Rory would already be waiting for him. He checked himself in the reflection of the window one last time before he went inside. There, he found her sitting in a booth in the far corner of the restaurant. He was relieved because he'd been hounded one too many times while out to eat with Odette, and he definitely didn't want to be caught out with 'another woman'.

Rory gave him a soft smile when he joined her. There was a menu in front of him.

"Not much has changed on this menu, has it?" he said trying to make polite conversation.

"Same fighting owners, same crappy menu," she replied with a little chuckle. It suddenly stopped as she began to feel awkward when she remembered this was the same place she was going to take him on his graduation day.

"What's wrong?" he asked after noticing she seemed to have gotten sad.

"Oh, it's nothing," she sighed. Rory didn't mean for it to sound so forlorn, but the memory really seemed to bother her.

"Hey, you can still talk to me," he prodded.

"It's just..." she began not knowing how to put it into words without sounding like some sentimental sap. "This is the place I was going to take you after you graduated from Yale, but your dad made you meet up for drinks with his cronies, and we barely got to spend any time together the night before you left for London."

 _God, that sounded whiney_ , she thought chastising herself.

"It is? Why didn't you tell me that?"

"I had wanted it to be a surprise," she explained and felt the tears welling up. _Oh, stop it, now!_ she ordered herself silently. _Stupid hormones!_

"What's really wrong?" he asked digging deeper.

"Sorry, it's these stupid hormones making me cry all of the time," she revealed as she wiped her tears and tried to regain her composure. "I cried the other day watching one of those Adam Sandler movies on Netflix."

"They made me want to cry, too," he said trying to lighten the mood.

"Why would you watch them in the first place?"

"I blame Finn," he answered. "What about you?"

"You know Lorelai. Once she gets an idea in her head, there's no getting it out, and I was the only one around," Rory replied. "I became her victim. At least there were good snacks!"

"Have you made up your minds?" the waitress asked in a polite but flat manner.

"We'll have spaghetti and meatballs," Logan ordered for both of them without a second thought. It had been their go-to meal every time they'd eaten there before. "And a bottle of the house red. Two glasses."

"ONE glass," Rory corrected.

"Sorry," Logan apologized. "Forget the wine."

 _Wow, I went on auto-pilot_ , he thought. _Of course, she can't have wine. She's pregnant with your child!_

"Why did you do that?" she asked pointedly.

"Do what?"

"Order for me, like we were a couple."

"Old habit," he said sheepishly. "Sorry."

"No, I'm sorry," she replied. "I shouldn't have suggested this place. I was just craving pasta and this was the first place that popped into my head."

"Do you get a lot of cravings?"

"It comes and goes," she answered and the pair sat in a tense silence. "For the record, I was going to order that anyway. It's the one thing that was edible here."

"So..." Logan began.

"So..."

They sat there looking at one another, trying to figure out what the other was thinking, and both knowing they shouldn't avoid the elephant in the room.

"Well, we can't avoid the obvious reason for our meeting," she started. "I have no idea what happened in Vegas. I wracked my brain over and over until it nearly gave me a headache, but I've got nothing."

"The night I found out, I had a really weird, almost too vivid, dream about the trip," Logan replied.

"Yeah?"

"I'm pretty sure I remembered a good chunk of it, and the guys filled in some details that seemed to make sense," he said.

"Care to share?" she asked.

Logan recalled what details he could, and, occasionally, Rory would chime in with bits and pieces as her memory was sparked. By the time he was done, he'd recounted what he determined to be a fairly accurate depiction of the events of the weekend.

"WOW! It's becoming clearer now, but how could none of us remember any of this?"

"You know, that's a great question," he chuckled. "And one we've all been trying to answer."

The couple smiled at one another, trying to figure where to go next with the conversation. At some point, they'd have to face the subject of the annulment papers. In the meantime, they hit on lighter subjects to help ease them into the hard truth of their situation. Before they could get around to it, their dinner showed up. Rory took a big whiff of the aromatic sauce and her pallor turned peaked. She slapped her hand over her mouth and shook her head.

"I'm sorry. Can you take these away?" Logan asked the waitress.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I'm afraid the smell has made her nauseous," he answered and saw Rory trying to violently wave the scent away.

"I don't understand," the waitress sounded confused.

Logan made the motion of a baby, and he could see the light click on in her head. She nodded and grabbed the plates.

"Can I bring something else perhaps?"

"Could you give us a few minutes?"

"Certainly. I'll get these out of the way and be right back," she replied with a sympathetic look.

"I'm so sorry, Logan," Rory apologized looking relieved that the scent had vanished.

"It's ok, Ace. Does anyone else sound good?"

"Maybe dessert? My body hasn't turned on them thus far. Most likely because it's part of my DNA," she suggested with a chuckle.

"Tiramisu?" Logan asked about one of her favorites.

"Yes!" she nearly shouted.

When the waitress returned, they ordered tiramisu and coffee.

"Decaf?" she asked.

"Bring the real thing, please," Rory answered firmly.

"Are you sure?" Logan wondered.

"Definitely! It's hard enough most days, but after feeling so sick, I need real coffee," Rory explained.

"Ok, coming right up!" the waitress said and left.

"So, did you have a chance to look over the papers?" Logan suddenly shifted into business mode. She'd seen the serious face before.

"I tried, but I'm going to need a translator," she joked.

"Would you like to talk to Colin? He was the architect of the papers, and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help you out," he offered.

"I don't think that's such a good idea based on that fact," she declined.

"He won't bullshit you. I'm pretty sure he likes you a lot more than he likes me," he said.

Rory laughed. "You're probably right, but I've got an appointment tomorrow. I'll take care of it."

"Thank you," he said in a softer tone.

"For what?"

"Being you," he smiled and his hard business face had melted into a gentler, more caring one. She'd seen it thousands of times throughout the years. Or so she thought until he quickly shifted and felt the tension building once again.

Fortunately, they were saved by coffee and dessert. The plate held a single serving of tiramisu with two spoons and was topped with a cocoa heart. He realized that this must have looked like a date to the untrained eye, and the waitress had assumed as much. _Is this another sign that the universe wants us to be together?_ he wondered. At the very least, they shared a laugh over her mistake, and from that point on, they were two friends catching up. It had broken the last of the tension and made them comfortable with one another.

After dinner, they decided to enjoy the unseasonably warm weather with a walk. The pair continued to chat about life, and for a moment, it felt as if nothing were wrong. Suddenly, Rory grabbed onto Logan to prevent a fall.

"Are you ok, Ace?" he asked worriedly.

"Sorry, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy spell," she explained.

"Do we need to go to the hospital?" his pulse had started to quicken and his mind began racing.

"No, it's ok. The doctor said it was normal because of the hormones and the blood flow going to the baby," she expounded.

"Are you feeling ok or should we go back?"

"I wouldn't mind the walk if you're still up for it," she said.

"Then, let's walk!" he announced.

He slid her arm through his to prevent any further stumbles. She felt sparks as he touched her. _No_ , she warned herself, but it was too late. All of her feelings for him had begun rushing back and memories of them flooded her mind. Without thinking, she rested her other hand on his arm. Even in the crisp winter air, she could smell him. She'd become almost intoxicated by that scent whenever they'd see each other, and Rory had that drunk feeling now. She couldn't get enough and felt herself drawing a little closer to him as they walked.

Logan enjoyed the fact that he and Rory could simply be with each other without having to say a word.

He sensed she was drawing closer to him and excitement tingled throughout his body. He was torn about having these feelings, but they were too powerful for him to control. Once she leaned on his arm, he was done for. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her a little closer and she reciprocated with hers around his waist. When they stopped near a park, he could feel her begin to shiver a little as the cooler night air settled in. He pulled her even closer, and she wrapped her other arm around his waist while they sat on a bench.

Rory breathed him in, leaning against his chest, snuggling into him. His lips rested on her head as if he were doing the same. _What am I doing?_ she wondered. _I just can't help the way I feel_. She resisted the urge to kiss him, and it was a struggle.

 _Is this how it's supposed to be?_ he asked himself. It certainly _felt_ right to him. Having her in his arms had always seemed perfect to him, and here he was. He was startled out of his thoughts when she moved, looking into his eyes. Her piercing blue eyes bore holes into his soul.

 _I want to kiss him. Does he want that, too?_ she thought as she tried to read him, staring into his warm, brown eyes. Before she could find the answer there, his lips were pressed firmly to hers. Her eyes fluttered closed as she returned his affection. She felt the heat rising from within, and she wanted more from him. Their lips parted, and they sat with their foreheads pressed together. Rory put her hand on his cheek and slid it behind his head, pulling him toward her as she hungrily kissed him. She wanted him and didn't care about the rest of the world.

When they finally stopped, both were nearly out of breath.

"I've missed you, Ace," he confessed.

"Me, too," she agreed. "What are we doing out there? It's freezing!"

"Let's go back to my place so you can warm up before your drive back home," he suggested and she nodded in agreement.

They walked back to their cars hand-in-hand. Logan shot her the address for his apartment.

"See you in a few," he said before he kissed her passionately. He wanted her to remember it all the way to his place and not think about anything else.

Rory got into her car and set off for his place. As she drove, she began reassessing the situation. _What in the world are you doing, Rory? He wants you to sign divorce papers...no...annulment papers._ The thoughts swirled in her head mixed with her feelings and the sparks she felt. Before she could rationalize any more, she was at his place. _Nothing is going to happen,_ she tried to convince herself but she knew better. She went up anyway.

 _What the hell has come over me? It's like I can't help myself, or is this what I really want? Maybe nothing will happen_ , he contemplated. _Oh, who am I kidding? Even a blind man can see what's going on._

The light rapping on his door thrust him back into reality. _Stay strong, Huntz,_ he pepped himself.

Without thinking or saying anything, he swept her into his arms and kissed her soundly. She wrapped her arms around his neck after dropping her purse to the side. She heard the door closing behind her as they kept kissing each other with a fiery passion. Without warning, he stopped because his conscious had finally kicked in.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"We shouldn't do this," Logan said trying to convince himself. He wanted her more than ever.

Rory was too far gone in the moment and her hormones were in overdrive, but she wanted to respect his wishes even though she wasn't convinced he didn't want the same thing. She was still in his arms, which said that he didn't want to stop either. _Maybe this was a bad idea_ , she thought. Realizing she was making a mistake, she tried to pick up her purse.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have come here," she said softly.

"No," he replied adamantly. "I want you here, and believe me, I want this, but...I shouldn't."

Before she could reply, he tightened his hold and kissed her. He didn't want to let her go.

"Ace..."

"Yeah?"

"We really shouldn't..." his voice trailed off, and he pressed his lips to hers again.

"I know, but..." she kissed him again.

"I've got..."

Neither could get out a coherent thought before the next kiss came.

"Her?" she asked.

"Mm-hmm," he replied solemnly.

"Technically..." she began.

"You're my..."

That was enough of a valid argument to push him over the edge. He didn't care what he was _supposed_ to do and gave in to what he _wanted_ instead. Coats were dropped to the floor and shoes were kicked to the side as they kissed each other fervently. Their hands wandering each other's bodies lustfully. She began to strip off his clothes, and when her hands touched his bare chest, tingles ran down her spine. She'd been missing a man's touch the last few months, and there were times she'd longed for him.

He felt as if his skin was on fire with her touch. In a matter of moments, both were down to nearly nothing. Logan picked Rory up, carried her into his room, where he gently laid her on the bed. With her clothes on, he couldn't tell she was pregnant, but without, he could see the faint bump on her once flat stomach now that she was lying in front of him. He was reminded of the last night they'd spent together and just how amazing it had been.

She felt the flames rise up as the heat turned her cheeks crimson with embarrassment. She wasn't terribly comfortable with the changes, and Logan bringing attention to it made her feel more self-conscious than she had already been. He saw the look on her face and drew his hand to her cheek. With a gentle kiss, he washed away any doubts she had been feeling.

"You are even more beautiful now than the last night we were together," he complimented her. Something about her glow made his desire grow, and somehow, he couldn't imagine his life without her and their child.

Any reservations she'd had were gone, and she felt like herself again. She'd been here so many times that it only felt natural. Pulling Logan down on her, she kissed him passionately, and he braced himself on either side of her. Rory could feel his excitement pressing against her leg and repositioned herself so that he was between her legs. Having him inside of her was the only thing she wanted, and she pulled him even closer to her until he was settled firmly against her. He could feel the heat between her legs. Feeling himself getting harder, he started grinding his hips into her, and she responded by wrapping a leg around him to hold him in place.

"I want you," she huskily whispered and gently bit his earlobe. It had always been a sweet spot for him.

Logan didn't want this to be over so quickly, but he was also more turned on that he'd been in a long time. Rather than obliging, he took his time in making love to her. As he kissed her passionately, he slipped a hand between her legs, feeling the damp warmth. Moving down the side of her neck, his lips grazed her shoulder, sending chills down her spine.

At first, he teased over the thin cloth that stood between him and her center. Rory was enjoying the teasing but didn't know how much longer she could take it. His touch was exhilarating and felt like fire reaching her most intimate places. Logan slid her bra straps down her arms and swiftly unhooked it, pulled it off. Letting his lips traced down her collarbone, he kissed his way to the top of her breasts. The fire was growing within both of them, yearning for more.

"Logan, please," she begged and arched her back as he took a nipple into his mouth. Rory was grinding on his hand that was still teasing her. He'd slipped a couple fingers under the fabric, feeling how excited he made her. She groaned in pleasure, and he felt himself throbbing, aching to be inside her core. He remembered how amazing it was to be one with Rory. He'd longed for it since the day she said goodbye.

 _I can't wait anymore_ , he thought and started to pull off her panties. She assisted, and he stripped off his own, lowering himself and resting at the entrance. Before he could tease her any more, she slipped him inside and wrapped herself around him tightly. Stroking slowly at first, he quickly picked up the pace to match her hips.

"You feel so fucking good, Ace," he whispered in almost a grunt. He kept thrusting deep inside of her, trying to hold off his own climax.

"Don't stop," she ordered and squeezed him harder with each motion.

Logan buried himself as far as he could, biting his lower lip, going faster and faster. He didn't know how much longer he could last.

"Yes! Right there!" she moaned loudly and clung to him, pulling him down to her.

He couldn't recall a time when she'd been so vocal, but it only served to turn him on even more. He gave her everything he could, and she groaned in pleasure under him.

"Fu...oh...god...yes," she barely got the words out before she released, her body shuddering under Logan. It sent him over the edge as he realized his own orgasm, nearly collapsing on her. The shock waves from within were almost too much for his overly sensitive manhood, but he rode it out with her.

"Damn, Ace," he said softly.

"That was amazing," she replied once she caught her breath.

"Now that you're all warmed up," he started jokingly.

"I hope you don't expect me to move," she retorted with a smile.

"I don't want you to go...ever," he confessed.

"Mmmm," she purred as she snuggled into his arms. Happily, he accepted and kissed her on the head, letting his hand settle on her stomach.

The sound of Logan's alarm woke the sleeping pair, who were wrapped in each other's arms and completely naked. Rory shot up and looked at her surroundings. Realizing she wasn't at home, she pulled away and tucked the sheet up under her arms. _Oh, my god! What did I do?_ she asked herself.

Logan playfully pulled her over and began kissing her. She melted in his arms and felt her body relax as she sank deeper into the moment. It was as if they were in their own little world. When a second alarm went off, he relented and enjoyed the serenity of the moment with Rory in his arms.

"I'll be right back," she said.

Wrapping herself in the sheet, she picked up her clothes on the way to the bathroom. She took a long, hard look at herself in the mirror. _What have you done?_ she thought. _Now, I don't know what I feel. I thought we were done but maybe not._

Meanwhile, Logan distracted himself with his phone. He had several missed calls from Odette and a few texts, including one from Finn. He ignored everything else and focused on his friend.

 **Finn** : Let's meet for drinks so we can discuss strategy for you-know-who.

 _Fuck! What am I going to do? There is something about being with Ace, yet I still care about Odette. I don't even know what I want anymore_ , he contemplated. _Maybe Finn can help me figure this out? He's really the only option right now._

 **Logan** : Sounds like a plan. Name the time and place.

Just after pressing send, Rory walked out of the bathroom, and he was lost in her once again.

Two hours had slipped away from them before Logan was finally able to pull himself out of the dreamlike bubble. He struggled with letting her go because he was afraid she might change her mind and not come back to him. He couldn't bear that thought but knew he had other business to attend to before he left for the city to meet his friend.

"I've got to get home, Logan," Rory began. "I've got a mission things to get done today before I go to the city."

"Just five more minutes?" he asked sweetly and began kissing her.

"Are you trying to distract me?" she wondered with a grin.

"Is it working?"

"Maybe, a little," she confessed. "But, as much as I want to stay, I've got to get going or I'll be late."

"So, five more minutes?"

"Mmmm," she groaned as he kissed her passionately. Rory broke the kiss. "Logan..."

"Fine, Ace," he conceded. "You win."

Once again, she slipped out of bed draped in a sheet, she grabbed her clothes and made her way to the bathroom. Exiting, she was careful to avoid getting too close to the bed, fearing she'd get lost in his arms and the day would slip away from her as they holed up in his room. It wasn't her fault though because her crazy hormones were getting the better of her, and it was Logan. He was the one thing she always came back to in life, and it was comfortable like home. It had been so easy to fall back into his arms, bed.

"Goodbye, Logan," she said once she got to the front door and softly kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye, Ace," he replied with a faint smile and longing glance. He closed the door behind her and let out a sigh.

After she got home, Rory took a nice long shower. She tried to reevaluate the turn of events last night, but it only seemed to turn her on again. _If there's one thing I've learned from watching Friends, it's that the Evander Holyfield stage of pregnancy is real!_ She chuckled and turned the water to cold.

Post-shower, she slipped into some cozy sweats. Thankfully, she didn't have to work at the paper today and her meeting with Paris was later in the evening. Rory still had a few hours before she needed to go, so, she settled on the couch with the remote and turned on some Buffy. Since she'd been pregnant, she couldn't seem to get enough of the show.

Rory awoke with a start when her phone started beeping at her. Pawing at it, she tried to unlock it with no luck. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to focus and put in the correct code. It was a text from Logan.

 **Logan** : Don't sign anything. After last night, I don't know if the universe is trying to tell me something, but it seems to be shouting at us. Let's get together, again. Just to talk.

 _Now, I'm even more confused. Were my hormones getting the better of me, or is this what I really want? Is he willing to fight for me...for us? Or, is this all going to end in disappointment?_ she began asking herself. _He's right, I suppose. Too many things are pointing in our direction. I guess there's no harm in talking..._

 **Rory** : Sure. I can do that.

 **Logan** : How about tomorrow morning?

 **Rory** : I'll be in NYC.

 **Logan** : Perfect, so will I. The Plaza at nine?

 **Rory** : The Plaza? I thought we were going to talk...

 **Logan** : I'm headed to NYC to meet up with Finn tonight and staying there. I figured we could find some coffee from there.

 **Rory** : Oh, ok. I didn't know Finn was going to be in town.

 **Logan** : If you'd like, I can tell him you said hi.

 **Rory** : Maybe I could tell him myself?

 **Logan** : I'll give him your number.

 **Rory** : Thanks, see you tomorrow.

 _Maybe Finn is the one I need to talk to about all of this. He knows both of us so well. Am I crazy to think Logan wants me...us? Then again, maybe I should talk to Paris. She's always been brutally honest with me no matter what. Or, perhaps, both?_ she pondered.

"Crap," she muttered. "I've got to get ready."

"Get ready for what?" her mother's voice called from the kitchen.

"I'm going to the city to talk to Paris about these papers," she said as she tried to hide the glow from the night before. It was extremely hard because she was also contending with her giddiness about the next day as well.

"Ok," Lorelai began. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Rory asked still trying to play it straight.

"First off, you didn't come home last night. I assume that's not a good thing. Second, you're glowing and grinning like Baby after dancing with Johnny," she elaborated.

"I'm not sure if you know this or not, but pregnant women often glow," Rory quipped.

"This is _not_ the same thing!"

"I was too tired to drive back. Sorry, I didn't call," Rory lied flatly to her mother.

"What did you _do_?" she asked pointedly. "Might as well tell me. I _am_ the all-knowing Mommy!"

"Fine," she caved. "I stayed at Logan's. Are you happy now?"

"You what?!"

"I was tired. He had an extra room. I slept. The end," Rory omitted one major detail and hoped the Reader's Digest version was enough to appease her mother. It wasn't.

"That's not all. You had sex, didn't you?"

"Wha - how?"

"I told you. I know all. Besides, I know that look. I've seen that look. Hell, I've _had_ that look," Lorelai revealed.

"Fine, I did. I've got to get moving, or I'll never make the train in Hartford," Rory said excusing herself.

"Where are you going?" her mother asked.

"I already told you. I'm meeting Paris in the city. I won't be home tonight because I'm planning on staying at her place," she answered.

"Can I give you a little piece of advice?" Lorelai asked quietly.

"Sure, Mom," she replied.

"Just be careful, ok?"

"I will. It's not like I can get more pregnant!"

Rory finished packing her small bag and was on her way to the city. She was still unsure about what she wanted to do. It seemed like the right decision to let Logan go when she did, but the circumstances had dramatically shifted. As much as the previous night felt amazing, she was conflicted. Would his parents finally accept her, or would they simply cast him aside? Could she be what Logan needed in a wife, or would she become trapped in a world she didn't particularly care for? It wasn't as if she utterly despised the world, she just didn't want to waste her talents doing something unfulfilling or getting a job based on her name rather than merit. Now, there was more than just herself to consider with a baby on the way. _At least I'll have plenty of time to make a pro/con list for this_ , she thought as the train began moving. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Hours after texting Rory, Logan was still reeling from the events of the last twenty-four hours. He couldn't explain it, but he knew, in his heart, that it was always supposed to be that way. He was certain she felt the same, otherwise, she wouldn't have agreed to meet him tomorrow. He had the urge to share his good news, so he grabbed his phone to message Finn. He'd nearly forgotten about the several missed calls and twice as many unread texts from Odette.

Reality struck him like a ton of bricks. He'd been so swept up in his feelings for Rory that the real world had been a distant memory. He felt a pit in the bottom of his stomach as he unlocked his phone to read the messages.

 **Odette** : How did it go?

 **Odette** : Guess you are still busy. Call me when you're done. I'm anxious to hear if things went well.

 **Odette** : I tried calling and it went straight to voicemail. Please call me.

 **Odette** : Are you ok?

 **Odette** : Logan, I'm getting very worried.

 **Odette** : I love you.

 _Damn it! What the hell am I doing? I've got to tell her. I wanted it to work, but now, there's a baby_ , he thought.

 **Logan** : Sorry. I had some scotch when I got back from dinner. It was harder to face than I thought, but I think we're on the same page.

 _It wasn't a total lie_ , he rationalized and pressed send.

 **Finn** : Are we still on for tonight? I'm thinking eight at the usual place.

 **Logan** : Yes! I've got great news!

 **Finn** : Care to share?

 **Logan** : Let's just say I'm not so sure we'll need to sign any paperwork!

 **Finn** : You're getting back together with Rory?

 **Logan** : Kind of.

 **Finn** : What about Odette? She's going to be crushed.

 **Logan** : Are you on her side now? Last I checked, you wanted me to get back with Rory when you found out we were married.

 **Finn** : No, I mean I'm not on anyone's side, but you should, at least, consider her.

 **Logan** : This is coming from Marie, isn't it?

 **Finn** : Well, we did talk about it.

 **Logan** : You didn't say anything about Rory being pregnant, did you?

 **Finn** : I don't think so, but there was a lot of scotch.

 **Logan** : How the hell could you do this, Finn?

 **Finn** : You haven't said anything to Odette about the baby?

 **Logan** : No, I haven't. It would only complicate things.

 **Finn** : I'm sorry, Mate. I'll find out if Marie knows anything.

 **Logan** : Let's meet for happy hour instead, so we can discuss this in person. There's a lot more to this than what you think.

 **Finn** : I'll be there.

 _How in the world am I going to explain this to Odette? Unless I tell her first, but I'm guessing Marie's first call was to her sister if she knew. Then, again, maybe this can work to my advantage to get out of this_ , Logan thought.

Working distracted hadn't been terribly productive for Logan. Fortunately, there wasn't anything imperative that had to be accomplished. He put away his work and took a shower. All he could think about was Rory. At some point, he knew he'd have to face the music back home, and Finn had reminded him of that. First, he needed to talk to Rory to find out if she wanted the same thing he did. If not, it would be a moot point and he could simply go back to his preordained life.

Packing a small bag, he quickly readied himself for the trip. His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of his phone.

"Are you ok? I've been so worried," Odette started in without a greeting.

"Yes, I'm fine," he lied. He certainly couldn't tell her about what happened.

"What's going on? This isn't like you?" she prodded.

 _It's not the me everyone wants me to be_ , he thought.

"I know. It's just been much more difficult than I thought," he replied.

"I'm sorry, Logan," she apologized. "Why didn't you just talk to me?"

"I just didn't want to worry you, and I didn't think you'd really want to discuss the particulars," he said. _She doesn't deserve to be treated like this_ , he lamented silently. Pangs of guilt started to surface, and he tried to shove them into one of his drawers, slamming it shut.

"It's ok. I'm here for you...no matter what."

"Can I call you back in a little while? I've got to get on the road," he wondered.

"Meeting Finn?" she asked sounding a little happier.

"Marie?"

He was relieved and thankful for the distraction from his Rory business.

"They've been almost inseparable since the wedding. She talks about him nonstop," she revealed.

Panic started sweeping over Logan. _Please, God, don't let her know about the bay_ , he thought.

"Wow, I've never seen Finn like this," he admitted.

"I'll let you go for now," she said softly. "I love you!"

"I love you, too," he replied without a thought.

"Maybe I can come to the states next week if you are going to be stuck there," she hinted.

"I'd love that," his voice trailed off.

"But?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea. It's very complicated," he tried to stave her off.

"I'll stay out of your way, but I want to be there for you, and..."

 _She knows!_ he shouted silently.

"And what?"

 _Oh, God, please don't say what I think you're going to say!_

"I miss you," she confessed.

"How about Tuesday?" he conceded.

"Or, I've already got a ticket for Monday," she said hopefully.

"Then, I guess I'll see you Monday," he said trying to sound happy about the new wrench thrown into his plans.

"Bye, Logan," she said sweetly.

He hung up and hurried out the door. Logan arrived just after Finn for happy hour. He took a seat next to his friend at the end of the bar and ordered a drink.

"How's Marie?" he asked.

Finn ignored his questioned and countered with one of his own, "What's going on with Rory?"

"Are you avoiding my question?"

"I think you're avoiding mine," Finn shot back.

Logan hadn't been prepared for a showdown with his friend. Then again, he'd never seen Finn like this with a woman. The Aussie awaited his answer. Logan thought for a couple of minutes, trying to figure out a way to put it. The call from Odette had shaken his confidence in his initial decision.

"Things are...interesting," he replied.

"Please elaborate," Finn requested.

"Well, I'm not so sure I even want this annulment," Logan confessed.

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"She's pregnant," he said definitely. "What more do I need?

"You slept with her," Finn called him out. "You slept with mother!"

"So what if I did? She _is_ my wife..."

"Really Logan?" he asked pointedly. "What happened to 'She is my past, please be nice and accept Odette'?"

"Just whose side are you even on, Finn? You were the first to express your disdain for Odette and all she represented," Logan fired back angrily at his friend.

"I can't believe you'd question my loyalty."

"Before the fake wedding, you wanted me to get back together with Rory. Now, you don't seem to want that," Logan explained.

"I'm just better informed about all sides in this, except Rory, of course," Finn replied.

"Oh?" Logan wondered. "Enlighten me."

"Marie's just talked about how much Odette cares about you," Finn told him. "It's not as if that's some big secret."

"But you and I both know I'm meant to be with Rory," Logan declared. "There are so many signs. It's like two magnets attracted to each other and there's no stopping it."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finn wanted her back in his life more than anyone except his best mate, but he also didn't want to lose Marie. He had feelings for her that he'd never felt for anyone before. Part of it scared him and part of it was so exhilarating he never wanted it to end.

"Well, what does Rory think?" Finn asked.

"I don't know for sure. We are meeting for coffee tomorrow morning," Logan answered.

"Do you still want me to talk to her?"

"She actually wants to talk to you," he said. "I don't know if it's about this, or just in general."

Finn's heart skipped a beat. He'd been very disappointed when she said goodbye and cut everyone out of her life. It was so hard to abide by her wishes, but he'd locked her memory away in a box in his mind. At first, he'd kicked himself for taking Rory for granted. He'd always thought that she and Logan would finally come to their senses and be together in the happily ever after he saw for them. It never came to fruition no matter how much they danced about the obvious attraction and compatibility.

"Here's her number," Logan stated and jotted it down on a napkin. "Maybe you could find out _for_ me?"

Finn gave him a look that told him that wasn't an option.

"No, nevermind. I'm just confused and anxious," Logan continued.

"I know, but your best bet is to just talk to her," Finn advised.

Logan ordered another round. "Your turn."

"For what?" he feigned ignorance of his redirection.

"What's going on with you and Marie?" Logan asked.

"I don't know. I like her, but I'm just not sure how I feel," he explained.

"How so?"

"I've never felt like this before, so, I'm not really sure what I'm feeling," he tried to expand but the words were hard to find.

"Wow...I'm speechless," Logan replied.

"I'm sure she'll tire of me soon enough," Finn added and slammed his drink. "Ready for another round?"

To his surprise, Logan seemed far away, lost in his own thoughts.

"Earth to Logan...come in, Logan!" he called.

Logan shook his head, bringing himself back to reality. "Sorry, man," he apologized. "Hey, do you think you could talk to Rory tonight? It's early enough..."

"Sure, no problem, Mate," he agreed. "But, just so we're clear, I _won't_ be your go-between."

"Understood," he affirmed.

"You really need to figure out what you want," Finn replied.

"How the hell am I supposed to figure that out?" Logan wondered.

"Is it _really_ so hard?" Finn asked in a sarcastic tone. "Oh, poor Logan! He's got two great women who love him and want to be with him." He couldn't feel sorry for his friend.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to choose between love and family?"

"If you want to be with Rory, then be with her. Quit being a wuss! Make a stand against the Dark Lord," Finn suggested firmly. "If not, quit jerking her around!"

Suddenly, Finn had become almost angry and very protective. He slammed the drink the waitress had just given him and left Logan, who sat there alone and speechless. He had no idea what had just come over Finn.

 _What in the world got into him? He's got no idea what it's like to be in my shoes. His parents don't care who he marries, so long as it's not some gold-digger. He doesn't have all this pressure because he's got siblings to share the burden of inheriting the family business_ , he thought in frustration. He took a deep, calming breath before standing up. _It's ok, Huntzberger. Everything is going to be just fine_.

On the way back to his hotel, Finn started replaying the conversation in his head. "I swear to God if Logan hurts Rory…" he cursed him under his breath. He had no idea why this had struck him the way it did. As quickly as his mood shifted the first time, it turned softer when he remembered he had Rory's number and planned on calling her when he got to his room. He'd been wanting to talk to her for quite some time but respected her decision to stay away. He'd missed the late-night chat sessions they used to have when he'd have to work late, or she couldn't sleep.

By the time he arrived, he had a smile on his face. Finn's happy thoughts were broken up when a woman wrapped her arms around him, squealing with delight. He realized she was someone he'd slept with a few months ago when he was in town on a business trip. At first, he was taken aback by the overzealous redhead. Before he could say anything, a second woman pushed the first one out of the way. He recognized her from a tryst just before Logan's wedding. Within moments, a catfight broke out between his admirers, and he took advantage of the opportunity to escape to the confines of his room. He had far more important things on his mind.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Arriving at their usual haunt, Rory found Paris in their regular booth.

"What's so important that we couldn't discuss it over the phone?" Paris asked, obviously agitated by Rory's slightly tardy arrival.

 _Wow! She just got straight to the point_ , Rory thought.

"Well, aren't you just Suzy Freakin' Sunshine tonight," she pointed out.

"For once, Doyle has the kids, and I'm supposed to meet someone in about two hours. So, if you could make it quick, I'd appreciate that," Paris revealed.

"You could have just said so, and we could have met a different night," Rory suggested.

"We're here now, so let's have it."

Rory tossed the envelope on the table in Paris's direction. She opened it and looked confused.

"Did you marry that Pete guy, or something?" she asked for clarification.

"Paul. His name was Paul, and no, I didn't. Take a closer look," Rory said.

When Paris got to the information, she nearly spat out the wine she'd been drinking.

"You married Huntz -"

"Don't say it," Rory hissed.

"What the hell, Rory? When did this happen, and why didn't you tell your best friend about it?" she asked in rapid succession. "I see what our friendship really means to you."

"Paris, I didn't even know and neither did he," she revealed.

"How could you _not_ remember marrying someone?"

"Vegas and copious amounts of alcohol," she explained.

"The trip after your birthday?" Paris wondered.

"Yes."

She returned to perusing the papers in her hand.

"He wants an annulment? Does h know you're pregnant?" Paris asked.

"Yes, and yes," Rory answered.

He friend kept reading. She started feeling emotional, and the tears welled up in her eyes as she thought about her complicated situation. Fighting them off only lasted a short time, and she quickly wiped them away when they started streaming down her face faster. Paris noticed.

"You know I'm not good with the tears, Rory," she said.

"I just don't know what to do, especially after we spent the night together last night," Rory blurted out.

"Well, that was a stupid thing to do," Paris chastised.

"Was it? I mean, we _are_ married..." Rory tried to justify her actions.

"Don't try to rationalize it. He wants to annul your marriage for some pampered Parisian princess," Paris replied.

"That did seem to be an issue last night or today," Rory countered.

"Then why are we meeting if you've made up your mind?" Paris questioned pointedly. "Because this seems like a big waste of time if you have."

"I just...I don't know what to do, Paris!"

"What does the list say?"

"Nothing," Rory said. "It didn't lean one way or the other."

"I think you've got to figure out what you want."

 _Duh_ , she thought. _Paris has always hated Logan. I should have known better than to try to talk to her about this. I hope Logan gave Finn my number. I could really use his advice._

"Is there anything concerning in the papers?" Rory asked, changing the subject.

"No, it's all pretty standard except for the non-disclosure agreement, but that's understandable in his position," Paris answered.

"Ok, I just wanted to make sure there weren't any surprises," Rory stated and her phone started going off as did her friend's.

"My time's up, Rory. I don't want to keep my date waiting," she said. "How do I look?"

"Powerful and important," she replied.

"Exactly what I was going for!"

"Good luck," Rory stated. "Is it still ok if I crash at your place?"

"Yes, just don't forget to disable the alarm this time," Paris reminded.

"Thanks."

As her friend walked away, she saw a message pop up on her phone from a number she didn't recognize.

 **Finn** : Hello, Love! Wonder if it's not too late to grab a drink.

 **Rory** : Actually, that sounds perfect...minus the alcohol.

 **Finn** : I'm at The Plaza. Come to the front desk and tell them your name. They'll escort you up to my room.

 **Rory** : Am I your geisha for tonight?

The request struck her as odd but figured there had to be some rationale behind it.

 **Finn** : You figured me out!

 **Rory** : What's with all the cloak and dagger business?

 **Finn** : Far too many women I 'know' downstairs tonight. I nearly got mauled in the lobby.

 **Rory** : And you loved every minute of it.

 **Finn** : So? It's more for _your_ safety, Love.

 **Rory** : I'll be there in about ten minutes.

Hurrying out the door, she hailed a cab for her destination. She was in no mood to walk, and the cool air chilled her more than normal. She was ecstatic to see her friend. They'd always had this connection that went beyond her friendships with Colin and Robert. Lately, she'd been missing him a great deal and looked forward to hanging out with him.

As promised, she arrived at his hotel about ten minutes later and followed his instructions. A few women started whispering to each other after eavesdropping and hearing her mention Finn's name. The women were quite loud. _I guess he wasn't exaggerating_ , she thought. Rory paid them no mind as she followed the desk attendant to his room. It felt a little weird, but nothing was ever normal with these guys.

The elevator opened into his room, and Finn stood, waiting near the foyer.

"Thank you, George," he said.

"Have a good night, Sir, Ma'am," George replied with a slight nod.

"You, too," Rory called to him as he got back into the elevator.

She turned to her friend and immediately went into his arms without another word. His hugs were one of her favorite things and something she'd yearned for over the last few months. A feeling of relief swept over her knowing that one of her truest friends was back in her life. _No matter what happens with Logan, I'm not making that mistake again_ , she silently vowed. Finn was the first to break the silence.

"So, anything new?" he asked knowingly.

"You know, don't you?"

"A little bird told me," he explained.

"Logan," she replied.

"I'm the only one he told about that, and everyone else knows you're married," he elaborated further.

"Wow," she stated sarcastically. "Is _nothing_ sacred?"

"It's just us, Love," Finn's words tried to comfort her. "it's not some random Schmoes on the street."

"I know," she relented. There wasn't much that was unknown amongst the group of friends.

"What are you going to do?" he asked almost as bluntly as Paris earlier in the evening. When it came to serious subjects, Finn rarely tiptoed around with Rory. Honesty had been a core component of the foundation in their relationship. Still, she hadn't been prepared to dive right into such serious subjects immediately.

"Honestly, I don't know. This whole baby thing really complicates everything. Sleeping together didn't do anything to help either. All of these are just confusing me," she admitted.

"What about the list?" he probed.

"You already knew we slept together?"

"NO, I mean, yes," he answered. "Don't be mad, Love."

"I'm not," Rory said with a soft smile.

"So, what did the list say?"

"It gave _no_ clear answer. That's _never_ happened! Damn, list!" she lamented. "We're supposed to meet tomorrow to 'talk'. I don't think that's going to happen. We met last night with the same intention, and it basically turned into a date that didn't end until morning. I even tried to talk to Paris."

"I'm guessing that didn't go well."

"Not really," she replied. "You're my only hope!"

"No pressure," he chuckled.

Without warning, emotions overcame Rory.

"Love, I'm so sorry," he apologized and pulled her into his arms. Settling in his arms, she breathed him in as she felt herself calming down.

"No, it's not your fault, Finn. It's Logan's," she assured him.

"What did he do?" he asked jumping into protective mode. His mind started racing thinking of scenarios where his friend could have hurt Rory.

"This," she said flatly as she pointed to her slight bump.

"Oh," he sighed in relief. He was afraid that Logan wasn't telling him the whole story.

"What am I going to do, Finn?" she asked quietly.

"What do you _want_ to do?" he countered.

"Part of me didn't want to leave him in the first place, and the other part knows I'll never fit into his world. At least, not like I'm expected," she admitted.

"You're always made an amazing team," he added.

"Has he said anything to you?" she asked hopefully and quickly realized the err of her question. "No, I'm sorry. I don't want to put you in the middle of this."

"Just talk to him about this like you planned," he suggested. "Then, _we_ can talk."

"Ok," she replied with a slight smile.

"Where are you staying tonight?" he wondered, changing the subject. "It's far too late for you to catch the train back."

"I was planning on staying at Paris's."

"Plans have changed. You're staying here, I insist," he declared.

"I'm perfectly fine going back to her place," she refuted.

He shot her the look that said to stop arguing.

"Ok, I give," she conceded and quickly texted Paris. She didn't expect to hear back since her friend had a date.

 **Paris** : I figured since you weren't here. Be careful, Rory.

 **Rory** : Ok, Mom, but I'm _not_ spending the night with Logan.

By the time Rory had brought her attention back to Finn, he'd already prepared for a mini Kath and Kim marathon. She was the only one of his friends who'd watch the Australian comedy with him and appreciated it on the same level.

"And we're all set," he said. "Don't worry, the food is on its way!"

Although she loved the show, especially watching with Finn, she found herself very distracted by her predicament. She wasn't sure if she could wait until the next morning to talk to Logan. Finn noticed Rory staring at her phone very intently. He watched as she typed messages, only to delete them.

"What's going on, Love?" he asked softly. "You love this show and haven't laughed at a single joke."

"I'm sorry, Finn. I just can't concentrate. I _have_ to know how he feels," she replied sounding almost desperate.

"I think you know how he feels, Rory," he asserted. "He loves you."

"But does he want me, no, I mean _us_ in his life?" she wondered.

"Yes, he does. He talked about not going through with the annulment," Finn admitted.

"Really?" she perked up a little. "But how? I mean, won't his dad try to stop him? Well, maybe not Mitchum but definitely Shira. She'd had it out for me since the beginning."

At this point, Finn knew his distraction plan had failed miserably. He didn't want to get into the middle of this mess, but he was in up to his neck. He wanted to help them stop skirting around the obvious issue of their attraction and compatibility.

"I think you've got to acknowledge there's more to this situation, and we're forgetting there's a third person involved..." Finn's voice trailed off.

They finished his thought at the same time.

"The baby," Rory said.

"Odette," he finished.

"Wow, I can't believe I hadn't really thought about that," she confessed. "I don't even know her. She's still just a name to me."

A short time later, Rory seemed to calm down and settled in to watch the show. Before long, she was laughing while Finn played the role of the distracted friend. He had no idea how all of this was going to fit into his own life and possible relationship with Marie. _Would she suddenly become Team Odette and toss me to the wayside?_ he wondered. He hadn't even noticed that Rory became unusually quiet until a few episodes later. She'd fallen asleep on him and looked almost angelic. It felt odd that she'd wrapped her arm around him even though she'd done it a million times before with no effect. This time, however, he felt different and couldn't figure out why.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Finn awoke the next morning with a dark cloud hanging over his head. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why. He didn't have any plans to be marred, so what was causing this feeling? His thoughts were interrupted by Rory.

"Morning, Finn,"

"Good morning, Love," he felt himself smiling bigger than normal.

"Coffee?" she asked.

"Is that a good idea? I thought pregnant women weren't supposed to have caffeine," he replied in a slightly chiding tone.

"I can have _some_ \- sheesh!" Rory retorted. "No need to be so overprotective. My mom drank a lot of coffee when she was pregnant with me, and I turned out just fine."

"And addicted to the stuff," he joked but couldn't help the protective feelings. Normally, he'd encourage almost any bad behavior, but she was one of his best friends, and babies were serious business in this instance.

"Minor detail," she said with a smile. "I'm going to grab a quick shower."

"You know where it's at," Finn replied.

"I've got to hurry. I don't want to be late for my meeting with Logan," she explained excitedly.

It hit Finn like a ton of bricks, the sinking feeling that he'd woke up with. _Why do I feel this way about Logan and Rory?_ he wondered. _I think I'm just more worried that Rory is going to get hurt. That's got to be all it is. After all, she's one of my best friends._

His phone beeped at him, indicating he'd received a text.

 **Marie** : Do you miss me?

Her message reminded him of the life he'd seemed to have forgotten since hearing from Rory. A small wave of guilt swept over him because his attention had been focused on another woman. It only served to confuse him because Marie was someone he liked romantically, and his only relationship with Rory had never been like that. _What the hell is wrong with me?_ he asked himself. _She's_ _only_ _a friend._ Finn tried to convince himself, but it wasn't working.

 **Finn** : Of course, I do.

More guilt made itself at home, and he couldn't shake the feeling. He wasn't lying because he did miss her, but, somehow, his loyalties were starting to feel divided. On one hand, he had one of his best friends since college, and the other was a woman he'd only just met yet had a connection with Marie he'd never felt with another woman. Now, he was starting to notice a similar feeling with his oldest female friend.

After her shower, Rory felt refreshed and quickly readied herself for her coffee date. She'd been thinking about what she wanted and had finally decided. She desperately hoped he was on the same page because, at this moment, she wasn't sure she could go back to life without him. Frankly, it hadn't been that great. Before when they'd been apart for months at a time, he was always just a phone call away. Whenever she had a problem, Logan was her first call. The last few months had been painful without him. She didn't realize it until she saw him again.

She arrived a few minutes before him and ordered a coffee, despite the fact she'd already had one. She didn't care. Coffee had always been a calming comfort for her, and she sipped it nervously as she awaited his arrival.

"Ace, you look..." his voice trailed off. He'd always been amazed that no matter what she wore, Rory always took his breath away.

She stood up to greet him, and he whispered in her ear, "I've missed you."

"It's barely been twenty-four hours," she said.

"And yet, it felt like an eternity."

"I know," she replied softly.

"Seeing you made me realize..." he was almost too nervous to finish the statement. She looked back, waiting anxiously for him to complete his thought. "I need you, Ace. I need you more than I ever thought I would. And, I want you. Oh, God, do I want you. No. I want _us_. We deserve a fair shot and the universe is telling me that this could be our last chance."

At that moment, Rory knew she'd made the right decision. All her fears and reservations vanished as she melted into his arms. The smile on her face couldn't be wiped off.

"What took so long?" she asked.

"I don't know," he chuckled. _I'm sure the fact that I've been waiting for her to say the same thing had nothing to do with it_ , he thought. He honestly didn't know why he didn't just come out and say it. He'd been a fool to wait.

Without another word about their situation, they carried on as if nothing had happened. The couple was right back where they were before Mitchum had brought up Odette for the first time. Logan seemed to have this way of putting Rory at ease and making her forget about the elephant in the room. As they finished their coffee, thoughts about their uncertain future began to creep into her brain.

"Ace," he started. "Don't worry. I'll take care of everything."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "It's like you read my mind!"

"You just take care of the precious cargo you're carrying, and I'll do the heavy lifting," he instructed. "Are you headed back to Stars Hollow?"

He was worried that she'd somehow get thrust into the spotlight, and he didn't want anything to stress her out or potentially harm the baby.

"Actually, I was thinking of staying here a couple more days. I could use a break, and I've missed the city," she revealed.

"Where are you staying?" he wondered.

"Well, I stayed with Finn last night after we talked half the night. It was so nice to catch up," she answered. "We still have a lot to chat about, so I'll probably stay with him again, although I haven't asked."

"Do you think that's such a good idea?"

Logan started to get a bad feeling, and he knew it well because it was the same one he got when he thought of Rory with someone else. All throughout their Vegas agreement, he'd felt pangs of guilt if he saw something on her phone that he wasn't supposed to see. _Why do I feel this way about Finn?_ he wondered. _He's my best friend and definitely_ _not_ _interested in her like that._

"Why not? He's always been a great friend to me," she replied.

He tried to quell the jealousy and took a deep breath. "You're right," he agreed but the feeling was too much. "I mean it's not a big deal that he's involved with Odette's younger sister."

 _I'm the one who's supposed to take care of her, not him_ , he thought. _I_ _hate_ _that it can't be me! And, I don't want him to mess anything up. What if he says something about Odette or to Marie?_

Rory couldn't see what Logan's problem was, but it reminded her of how he acted when he saw her with Robert at Finn's birthday many years ago. It seemed silly because they were all adults, and there was absolutely nothing going on between her and Finn. She'd always looked at him as more of a brother than anything.

"Logan, there's nothing to worry about, ok?" she tried to reassure him.

"I know. I'm just worried about how all of this is going to go," he half-heartedly confessed. It was only a portion of his concern.

She put her hand on his. "Everything is going to be alright. I've got a good feeling," she said with a smile and kissed him. Logan pulled away, and it sent Rory into a slight panic. Maybe she was wrong about everything.

Shit! I need to be more careful about this. I can't get caught in public like this with Rory, he warned himself. _If I can just keep all of this out of the spotlight, we can move on from this mess. Besides, I certainly don't want the press hounding Rory or causing her any harm. They can certainly be a nightmare if they don't get what they want._

"I'm sorry," she apologized quietly. "Did I do something wrong? I thought that -"

"No, it's not that," he assured her with his hand on hers. He glanced around quickly to make sure no one was watching them.

"I don't get it," she replied confused. "What's going on?"

"There are eyes everywhere, and as far as the world knows, I'm not married to you," he explained.

"But we _are_ married," she countered.

"Look, I don't want to turn this into some public spectacle. I'm hoping to keep this under the radar and give us a little anonymity," he elaborated.

"I guess I hadn't thought of it like that," she said softly, dropping her defenses.

"It's just for now, ok?"

"Mm-hmm," she agreed. "I'd better head out. I think maybe I'd better head back home, just to be safe."

"You don't have to. I just think, in public, we need to be a little cautious," he said, offering her a soft smile.

"Ok," she sighed in relief. "I really need a break from small-town life. The thirty-something gang is practically stalking me. Did I tell you they follow me around town? They try to be sneaky, but I see them darting behind buildings. Then, they show up wherever I'm at thirty seconds after I get there. To try to make it less suspicious, they take turns as to which pair shows up."

"Are they still doing that creepy milkshake thing?"

"You have no idea," she laughed. "They've moved onto _No Blinking_."

"The Master?"

"Yes," she replied. "When one asks a question, which they do frequently, and you blink while answering, the group shouts _Infringement! You blinked!_ Then, they ask again prefaced by the statement _No blinking_."

"Don't they have jobs?" he asked.

"Not really. I mean, one might get something but it's usually too hard or isn't their 'dream job'. They are back within a week," Rory answered.

"How could you live like that? I couldn't even imagine moving back in with my parents," he commented.

Rory was stunned. She couldn't believe he'd just said that to her, especially knowing her current predicament. "Wow..."

"No, that's _not_ what I meant. Your situation is very different -"

"Actually, it's not," she argued as she began realizing the truth. Her situation wasn't that different from the thirty-something gang. "I'm failing as a journalist and have no real job. I live with my mom, who's been supporting me since I moved back home. I'm just like them except I'm not even trying to find a real job."

"Ace," Logan began. "It's not like that. You're a talented journalist."

"That's why I've got such a prestigious job as the unpaid editor of the Gazette, which was more of a volunteer effort than me being the best person for the job," she countered sarcastically.

"You've had amazing numbers, increased circulation, and put that paper on the map," Logan rebutted.

"No, Logan," she denied. "I haven't done a damn thing! That place is a joke. _I'm_ a joke...just like them!"

Without another word, Rory stormed out. She started wandering aimlessly, thinking about what had just transpired. _How the hell could he be so insensitive? I live with my mom, don't have a job, and have a baby on the way_ , she thought pitifully. I'm a total failure, and pretty soon, I'm going to have another person that I'm responsible for. I don't have a plan or a job or anywhere to live. What the hell am I doing? Wandering aimlessly? Maybe Grandma was right to question my nomadic existence.

She continued walking, getting farther from The Plaza. The weather was cool, and she wasn't prepared to be out in the elements for an extended period of time. Thoughts continued to plague her, swirling around in her head. _I just need a plan_ , she thought. _I can't just sit around and do nothing. I've got to help myself, or I'll end up as nothing. A big, fat NOTHING. I can't just live with my mom forever or let Logan completely support me. I need to get back into the game while I'm writing this book._

Rory realized that Logan hadn't said any of that to be mean because he'd never seen her like that, but it made her see things differently. She started feeling bad that she'd up and left him alone. Her emotions had just been so out-of-control lately, making everything overly dramatic.

 **Rory** : I'm sorry.

Logan heard the beep from the phone in his pocket. He pulled it out to see it was a message from Rory apologizing for getting upset. He sighed in relief. He still needed to figure out how he was going to break the news to Odette. He didn't want to hurt her but knew it was inevitable. Rory had always been his destiny, and he couldn't believe that it took him until _now_ to see it. He looked back at his phone, preparing to send a reply to her text when, as if on cue, it began ringing.

"Hey," he said.

"I'm here."


End file.
